NEW DELHI: India has till date retrieved 251 antiquities from different countries, of which 238 have been brought back home since 2014.
A metal idol of Lord Hanuman which was stolen from a Vishnu temple, Shri Varatharaja Perumal, Pottaveli Vellur from Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu, was just handed over to the Indian embassy in Australia, Union Minister For Culture, G Kishan Reddy tweeted, attaching the picture of the idol.
The idol was stolen back in the Chola period (14th -15th century). Sharing Reddy’s tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, “We are constantly working towards ensuring our prized heritage comes back home”.
According to the central government, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is constantly making its best efforts to retrieve the antiquities which have been taken away from the country in violation of the Antiquates and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
The ASI is constantly making its best efforts through Indian Missions abroad for retrieval of illegally exported antiquities. Efforts are made to retrieve such antiquities as and when they surface in foreign countries. (ANI)