NEW DELHI: The government’s archival records and historical documentation in other institutions have helped the culture ministry to successfully reclaim three momentous antiquities, including a Chola period bronze sculpture, “Shiva Nataraja”, which were illegally taken away from temples in Tamil Nadu decades ago.
The objects were part of the collection at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in the US. The other two articles also bronze casting—“Saint Sundarar with Paravai” (16th century of Vijayanagara period) and “Somaskanda-Shiva and Uma” (12th century of the Chola period)—reached New Delhi on Tuesday night.
But the Shiva Nataraja will return in 2028 as they are displayed in an ongoing exhibition at the US museum. The government had agreed to leave the sculpture there till 2028 as a long-term loan.
While announcing the repatriation of the idols, culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had traced three valuable artefacts, and after thorough provenance research using archival records, field documentation and photographs of the temple taken in the 1950s-60s, it was established that they were taken out of the country in an unauthorised manner. The retrieved idols will be placed in the Gallery of Retrieved Antiquities at the Red Fort.
Following the research based on the photos of Tamil Nadu temples archived at the French Institute of Pondicherry, it was confirmed that the sculptures were with the temples. The photos were taken between 1956 and 1959. The ASI subsequently reviewed the findings and affirmed the sculptures had been removed in violation of laws.
“With the findings supported by structured negotiations initiated by the ASI with the ministry of culture, the sustained evidence-driven engagement led to acceptance of the provenance claims and paved the way for repatriation of the artefacts,” said Shekhawat.
The “Shiva Nataraja” belonged to the Sri Bhava Aushadesvara Temple in Thiruthuraipoondi Taluk (Thanjavur), Tamil Nadu, where it was photographed in 1957. Shekhawat said that the funds to bring objects from the US back had been approved.