News Brief
India Reclaims Heritage: Over Hundred Looted Indian Antiquities — Most Being Over 1,000 Years Old — Brought Back From US, 16 More To Arrive Soon
The Indian Consulate in New York received 105 antiquities.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recently confirmed that a total of 105 antiquities that were smuggled from India to the United States, arrived in the country about two weeks ago.
These include various artworks such as a terracotta plaque featuring a standing figure with attendants, a bronze sculpture depicting Lord Krishna in the Kalinganarthana posture, a sandstone image of Vishnu and Lakshmi riding the Garuda, and a terracotta vase from Eastern India.
In response to a right to information query by The Indian Express, the ASI mentioned that 105 antique art objects were repatriated from the USA in August 2023.
ASI also mentioned that efforts are underway to repatriate more antiquities from other countries.
Additionally, there are plans to bring back 16 more antiquities that were returned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
In addition to these 105 antiquities, over 250 non-antiquity artefacts are expected to be returned to India soon.
Many of the smuggled antiquities and non-antiquities were discovered to have been illegally exported from India by Subhash Kapoor. Kapoor is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in Tamil Nadu for his involvement in the illegal export of these artifacts.
The list of 105 antiquities consists of artifacts from different time periods, with most of them being over 1,000 years old.
Additionally, there were three artifacts listed as originating from either central or eastern India, two each from Uttar Pradesh and either Rajasthan or Gujarat, and one each from central or western India, Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, north India, and western India.
On 17 July, the Indian Consulate in New York received 105 antiquities that had been handed over.
During his visit to the US, on 24 June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his satisfaction stating, "I am happy that the American government has decided to return more than 100 antiquities that were stolen from us."
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