Lok Sabha Question No. 212 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Status of Stolen Indian Artefacts
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Putta Mahesh Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.212 ANSWERED ON 21/07/2025

## STATUS OF STOLEN INDIAN ARTEFACTS

## 212.    SHRI PUTTA MAHESH KUMAR:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  survey/study  regarding  the  theft  of Indian artefacts during the last five years;
- (b) if  so, the details of the list of stolen  artefacts during the last five  years and their present status, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the details of the total number of artefacts recovered, still missing and unaccounted for over the last five years, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the  details  of  the  list  of  stolen  Indian  artefacts    recovered  from    other    countries during the last five years, country-wise; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  steps  for  increasing  awareness regarding stolen Indian artefacts and their recovery and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a)to(c) Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) maintains up to date data of theft cases in respect  of  protected  monuments,  sites  and  museums  under  its  jurisdiction. Details are annexed as 'Annexure I' .
- (d) Country  wise  details  of  the  antiquities  retrieved  during  last  five  years  are annexed as 'Annexure II' .
- (e) Government  conducts  awareness  programmes,  exhibitions  and  workshop  for increasing  awareness  regarding  stolen  Indian  artefacts  and  their  recovery. Special programmes  are  conducted  on  various occasions for increasing awareness among the people.

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## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 212 FOR 21.07.2025

## DETAILS OF STOLEN ANTIQUITIES DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS

|   S. No. | State          | Name of Monuments/Sites (from where the antiquities were stolen and location)        | Name of object stolen                          |   Year of theft | Status    |
|----------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------|-----------|
|        1 | Karnataka      | Sadashiva Temple, Nuggehalli, Taluk Channarayapatna, District Hassan.                | Copper Kalasa                                  |            2020 | -         |
|        2 | Andhra Pradesh | Golingeswara group of Temples, Biccavolu, District East Godawari.                    | Nandi sculpture                                |            2021 | Recovered |
|        3 | Uttarakhand    | Bhairav Temple, Mrityunjay Temple Complex, Dwarahat, District Almora.                | Shiva Linga                                    |            2021 | Recovered |
|        4 | Jharkhand      | Sitagarha Archaeological Excavation Site, District Hazaribagh.                       | Two sculptures of Buddha in bhumisparsha mudra |            2021 | Recovered |
|        5 | Karnataka      | Ganpati Amma Shrine of Lakshminarasimha Temple, Marehalli, District Mandya.          | Stone idol of Ganpati                          |            2022 | -         |
|        6 | Bihar          | Village Dattina, P.S Vikram, District Patna.                                         | Image of Vishnu                                |            2022 | -         |
|        7 | Tamil Nadu     | Parthasarathi and Krishna Temples, Parthivapuram, Vilavancode, District Kanyakumari. | Idol of Vishnu                                 |            2024 | Recovered |

ANNEXURE II ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOKSABHAUNSTARRED QUESTION NO 212 FOR 21.07.2025

## COUNTRY WISE DETAIL OF RETRIEVAL OF ANTIQUITIES

| Country    | 2020       | 2021       | 2022       | 2023       | 2024       | Total      |
|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
| Australia  | 3          | -          | 29         | 2          | -          | 34         |
| Canada     | -          | 1          | -          | -          | -          | 1          |
| Italy      | -          | -          | -          | 1          | -          | 1          |
| Thailand   | -          | -          | -          | -          | 1          | 1          |
| UK         | 5          | 1          | 1          | 7          |            | 14         |
| USA        | -          | 157        | -          | 105        | 297        | 559        |
| Total- 610 | Total- 610 | Total- 610 | Total- 610 | Total- 610 | Total- 610 | Total- 610 |