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.
Aam Aadmi Party convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has attacked the BJP-led
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, will d
A minor dispute during Holi celebrations in the Hastsal Rehabilitation Colony under the Uttam Nag
Extremely sad news is currently emerging from the Japanese film industry. Renowned filmmaker Tsut
Fans' most beloved couple, "Virosh" Vijay Deverakonda and national crush Rashmika Mandanna, will
The divine and grand Maha Kumbh Mela has begun in the Sangam city of UP. The Maha Kumbh, which wi
Amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the global oil crisis continues to deepen. In man
In India, people typically retire from work at 60, but by 83, talk of retiring from life begins.
'No compromise on security, respect, and dignity': The ICC has currently rejected the Bangladesh
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is facing criticism from his own party leaders, has hit back and
