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New Delhi: The US is all set to return 3 bronze statues to India, which were illegally removed from several Indian temples in the country. These were put on display in museums in the US, but now they are all set to be handed over to India, who are its real owners. These bronze sculptures are currently placed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC.

Sculptures to be returned soon, some to be loaned out to museum

The authorities of the museum said that the three sculptures will be returned to the Government of India, following “rigorous provenance research” that documented the sculptures had been removed illegally from temple settings, reported PTI. They added that the Indian government had agreed to loan to them one of the sculptures, which would allow them to share the story about its origin, removal from Indian temples and again the return to the country. This is being done to establish the museum’s commitment to research regarding the objects it displays.

The 3 sculptures, which were taken away to the US, from Indian temples are the ‘Shiva Nataraja’ belonging to the Chola period, circa 990; ‘Somaskanda’ of the Chola period, 12th century; and ‘Saint Sundarar with Paravai’ of the Vijayanagar period, 16th century.

These sculptures display South India’s rich art and also bronze casting techniques and its prevalence in ancient India. These sculptures were reportedly part of temple processions. The Indian government has also reportedly agreed to loan out the Shiva Natraja statue and it will remain on display at the exhibition titled – ‘The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas’.

The Indian Embassy is in touch with the museum to finalise the terms of the agreement.

Organisations behind return of sculptures

These ancient sculptures are being returned to India, only due to the efforts of a team of dedicated professionals from the National Museum of Asian Art’s, curators of South and Southeast Asian Art, the workers at the Photo Archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry and numerous organisations and individuals around the world who came together to establish the origins of these bronze sculptures and managed to prove that these were taken away from India, by the US.

It was confirmed through careful research that these statues were photographed in temples in Tamil Nadu, India, between 1956 and 1959. These findings were reviewed by the Archaeological Survey of India. They confirmed that the bronze pieces had been removed illegally from the country.

Reacting to the news, the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington said that they were committed to “stewarding cultural heritage responsibly and advancing transparency in our collection.”

The Director, Chase Robinson said that the museum aims to not only know the history behind how any particular reached the museum, but also wanted to trace its origins. This, he said, helps advance transparency in the collections. He also mentioned that the return of the items to India, showed “ethical museum practice.”