New Delhi: Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday said the return of three sacred antiquities from the US marks the restoration of India’s civilisational memory and reflects the Centre’s commitment to reclaiming stolen cultural heritage.
Addressing a press conference at the National Museum in New Delhi, the minister described the repatriation of the historic bronzes from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art as a major milestone in India’s ongoing efforts to bring back looted artefacts and strengthen ethical museum practices globally.
The repatriated antiquities include a Chola-period Shiva Nataraja dating back to around 990 CE, a 12th-century Somaskanda sculpture depicting Shiva and Uma, and a 16th-century Vijayanagara-period bronze sculpture of Saint Sundarar with Paravai, according to an official statement.
According to the government, the sacred temple bronzes originally belonged to temples in Tamil Nadu and were illegally removed from India during the mid-20th century before being housed abroad.
Shekhawat said antiquities are not merely artistic objects but symbols of India’s spiritual traditions, historical continuity, and cultural identity. He added that illicit trafficking had deprived the country of several priceless treasures over the decades.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) traced the artefacts to their original temple sites through detailed provenance research using archival records, historical photographs, and field documentation from the 1950s and 1960s.
Officials said the findings helped facilitate coordinated discussions involving the Ministry of Culture, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Embassy of India in the US.
The Shiva Nataraja sculpture was identified as belonging to the Sri Bhava Aushadesvara Temple in Thanjavur district and had been photographed there in 1957.
The Saint Sundarar with Paravai bronze was photographed in 1956 at a Shiva temple in Veerasolapuram village, while the Somaskanda sculpture was photographed in 1959 at the Visvanatha Temple in Alattur village in Tamil Nadu.
The Somaskanda and Saint Sundarar with Paravai bronzes arrived in New Delhi on May 12, 2026. The Shiva Nataraja will be repatriated after its scheduled display in the exhibition titled “The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas.”
As part of a goodwill arrangement, the Government of India has agreed to a three-year loan agreement for the Shiva Nataraja sculpture from 2025 to 2028 to allow global audiences to understand its historical journey from origin to repatriation.
The minister also said India has successfully brought back 666 antiquities from different countries, including 653 since 2014, through diplomatic, legal, and institutional efforts involving the Ministry of Culture, ASI, Indian missions abroad, and enforcement agencies.
He further informed that 657 art objects of Indian origin were recently handed over by US law enforcement agencies to the Embassy of India in the US. Arrangements are currently being made for their transportation and verification by ASI experts.
The press conference was attended by Vivek Aggarwal, senior officials of the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum, and the ASI, along with members of the media and distinguished guests.
The event underlined India’s continuing efforts to restore and preserve its stolen cultural heritage through international cooperation and institutional support.
