The stolen statue was stolen in February 1998 from the Ghateshwar temple in Baroli, Rajasthan.
London:
A rare late 9th-century stone statue of Lord Shiva, which was stolen from a temple in Rajasthan and smuggled into the UK, will be returned to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Thursday.
The Nataraj or Natesha murti stone, in the “chatura pose with jatamakuta and trinetra” and measuring almost four feet high, is a rare representation of Lord Shiva in the Prathihara style.
It was stolen in February 1998 from the Ghateshwar temple in Baroli, Rajasthan. In 2003, it emerged that the statue had been smuggled into the UK.
“When this information was received in London, the British authorities were contacted and, with their support, the matter was continued with the private collector, who was in possession of the idol in London. He voluntarily returned the idol at the Indian High Commission in UK in 2005, ”said the High Commission of India in UK.
In August 2017, a team of ASI experts visited the House of India and examined the idol, which featured prominently in the main hall of the building. Experts have confirmed that it was the same statue that was stolen from the Ghateshwar temple.
HCI, with the support of the HM government, repatriates to Archeological Survey of India, the 10th century idol of Lord Shiva – “Natesh”, stolen in 1998 from the Ghateshwar temple, Baroli, Rajasthan. #IndiaUK@TheNehruCentre@DCMS@ASIGoI@[email protected]/vr6N770k47
– India in UK (@HCI_London) July 29, 2020
An official statement from the Indian government said that in line with the Indian government’s new push to protect India’s cultural heritage and present it to the world, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as well as law enforcement India’s agencies are actively investigating and returning stolen and smuggled Indian antiques.
As a result, antiques and idols were returned to India from various countries, including the United States, Australia, France, and Germany.
The High Commission of India (HCI) in London said it also plays a leading role in successful renditions and repatriations of Indian cultural heritage.
“HCI is currently working with various law enforcement agencies to trace, seize and recover stolen items. HCI is currently working on many such cases. We are confident that in the coming days, in partnership with ASI, Indian government, state and center authorities as well as UK law enforcement and independent experts, we will succeed in returning more items. of our cultural heritage in India, ”said a statement.
Examples of restitution from the UK include the Bramha-Brahmani sculpture, which was stolen from India and returned to ASI in 2017. It found an important resting place at the Purana Quila Museum in New Delhi , in the gallery organized by ASI.
On August 15, 2018, a 12th century bronze statue of Bhagavan’s Buddha was restored at the Indian High Commission by the London Metropolitan Police and then handed over to the Indian government last year.
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
