Britain's prestigious Oxford University has agreed to return a 500-year-old bronze statue of a saint stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu to India.
A statement issued by the University's Ashmolean Museum said that on March 11, 2024, the Council of Oxford University supported the Indian High Commission's claim to return the 16th-century bronze statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar from the Ashmolean Museum. The decision will now be sent to the Charity Commission for approval.
The 60 cm high statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar was acquired by the Ashmolean Museum of the University of Oxford from Sotheby's auction house in 1967 from the collection of a collector named Dr. J.R. Belmont (1886-1981).
The museum says that in November last year, an independent researcher informed it about the origin of this ancient statue, after which it informed the Indian High Commission about it.
The Indian government has made a formal request for the bronze statue, which is believed to have been stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu and ended up in a UK museum through auction.
The museum, which houses some of the world's most famous art and archeological artifacts, says it acquired the statue in 1967 in "good faith".
There have been several instances of Indian artifacts stolen from the UK being restored to India, the most recent being in August last year when a limestone carved statue from Andhra Pradesh and a 17th-century "Navaneet Krishna" bronze statue from Tamil Nadu were handed over to the Indian High Commissioner in the UK following a joint investigation by Scotland Yard's art and antiquities unit.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday made an important comment on the dispute between the Tamil Nadu gove
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday is today i.e. on 17 September. He has turned 74 years old
Nameplate case in SC The Supreme Court upheld the Yogi government's decision to allow shopkeepers
Mumbai Indians defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by four wickets due to the excellent performance of t
The Kuwaiti government will pay compensation of US $ 15,000 (Rs 12.5 lakh) to the families of the
Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the Modi government is leaving no stone unturned to p
NDA has chosen Narendra Modi as its leader. He can take oath as PM on 9th June at 6 pm. This time
Thanks to the all-round performance of young star Abhishek Sharma, India defeated England by 150
Entire North India including Punjab and Haryana is in the grip of intense heat. Fire is raining f
Various organizations across the country have called for a 'Bharat Bandh' today (August 21) again
