The United States has returned more than 1,400 ancient objects to India, the total value of which is 10 million US dollars. This step has been made possible due to the continuous efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These objects include a sandstone idol stolen from Madhya Pradesh in the 1980s and the Taneshwar Mata idol stolen from Rajasthan in the 1960s.
Inclusion of statues and other ancient objects.
The antiquities were returned to the United States in a special ceremony attended by Indian Consul General Manish Kulhari and Alexandra DeArmas, supervisor of the National Security Investigations Agency’s Antiquities and Cultural Properties Group in New York. . According to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr., 1,440 antiquities were delivered to India, including several sculptures and other antiquities.
Includes sandstone statue of a dancer.
These objects include a sandstone statue of a dancer stolen from a temple in Madhya Pradesh in the 1980s, which was split into two parts by smugglers and shipped from London to New York. These two pieces were later reconstructed and displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they remained until 2023, when they were seized by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU).
Investigation against smuggling networks continues
The statue of Taneshwar Mata, which was stolen from the village of Taneshwar Mahadev in Rajasthan in the 1960s, was kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art until 1993. This statue was confiscated by the ATU in 2022. Bragg said he would continue his research into smuggling networks targeting Indian cultural heritage.
Stolen from over 30 countries.
According to Attorney Bragg, during his tenure the Antiquities Smuggling Unit has recovered more than 2,100 stolen antiquities from more than 30 countries, with a total value of approximately $230 million. In addition, more than 600 antiquities stolen in India will also be returned in the coming months.
