A precious sculpture of Lord Hanuman from the Chola period, which was stolen from the Vishnu Temple, Shri Varatharaja Perumal, Pottaveli Vellur in the Ariyalur district, has finally been retrieved and returned to India. The sculpture, which dates back to the late 14th -15th century, was documented by the French Institute of Pondicherry in 1961, making it a valuable piece of India’s heritage.
The stolen sculpture of Lord Hanuman was handed over to the High Commissioner of India in Canberra after being recovered. It was then brought back to India during the last week of February 2023 and has since been handed over to the Idol Wing in Tamil Nadu as a case property on 18.04.2023. This retrieval is a significant achievement in the government’s effort to safeguard the nation’s antiquities and preserve its cultural heritage.
Efforts of the Indian Government in Safeguarding Antiquities
The Indian Government is committed to safeguarding the nation’s antiquities and has been instrumental in retrieving unlawfully taken antiquities from abroad. Since 2014, the government has brought back a total of 238 antiquities out of the 251 that have been retrieved to date. These efforts demonstrate the government’s dedication to preserving the country’s rich cultural heritage and ensuring that its artifacts remain within its borders.
The retrieval of the stolen sculpture of Lord Hanuman from the Chola period and its return to India is a significant milestone in the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage. It is crucial that we continue to work towards the protection of our antiquities and ensure that they remain within the nation’s borders. The government’s efforts to retrieve unlawfully taken antiquities are commendable, and we hope that they will continue to do so in the future.
