Lok Sabha Question No. 59 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-25
Subject: Recovery of Stolen Antiquities
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: PRALHAD VENKATESH JOSHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.59

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.04.2016.

## RECOVERY OF STOLEN ANTIQUITIES

## 59.   SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken steps to recover stolen antiquities from India that are presently abroad and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether    the  Government  has  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  antiques that are currently illegally being smuggled outside the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  in  the  past  three  years  these  stolen  antiquities  have  been returned to India and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  during  the  past  three  years  cases  of  smuggling  of  Indian antiquities have been recorded  and if so, the details thereof along with the cases reported during each of the last three years ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE, CULTURE  AND TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) AND MINISTER OF STATE, CIVIL AVIATION

## (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) Archaeological  Survey  of  India  is  making  all  efforts  to  recover  stolen antiquities from abroad. Till date the Archaeological Survey of India has recovered  eighteen  numbers  of  antiquities  from  various countries. Annexure I.
- (b) Presently there is no estimate available with the Archaeological Survey of India, for the number of the antiquities that are currently illegally being smuggled outside the country, however, Central Bureau of Investigation has registered one case in connection with Indian antiquities stolen and sold in foreign countries since 2000 to 2016.
- (c) Six numbers of antiquities have been recovered from abroad during the last three years. Annexure II.
- (d) Presently there is no estimate available with the Archaeological Survey of India, for the number of the antiquities that are currently illegally being smuggled outside the country, however, Central Bureau of Investigation has registered one case in connection with Indian antiquities stolen and sold in foreign countries since 2000 to 2016.

## Annexure I

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY PART TO (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.59 FOR 25.04.2016 LIST OF RETRIEVAL OF ANTIQUITIES FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

|   Sl. No. | Description of object              | Provenance                | Country from which retrieved   | Date/ year of Retrieva l   | Means of Retrieval                                                                                           | Present location           |
|-----------|------------------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
|         1 | Sawn stucco Head                   | Nalanda, Bihar            | U.K. and France                | 1976                       | Voluntarily returned by British Museum, London and Madam Krishna Robound of France                           | Patna Circle               |
|         2 | Nataraja of Chola period           | Sivapuram Tamil Nadu      | U.S.A.                         | 1986                       | Through Court Case in U.K and U.S.A.                                                                         | Tamil Nadu Government      |
|         3 | Terracotta Yakashi of Tamluk       | West Bengal               | U.K.                           | 1986                       | Court case was instituted in London but out of Court settlement was reached for retrieval                    | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi |
|         4 | Nataraja of Chola period           | Tiruvilakkadi, Tamil Nadu | U.S.A                          | 1986                       | Kimbell Art Museum returned the idol after Indemnity agreement was signed by the GOI on 12.8.1985            |                            |
|         5 | Nataraja of Chola period           | Pathur, Tamil Nadu        | U.K.                           | 1991                       | Retrieved through Court case instituted in London High Court and appeal in Royal Court of Justice at London. | Tamil Nadu Government      |
|         6 | Terracotta figures from Bhitargaon | Utter Pradesh             | U.S.A                          | 1991                       | The figure was returned voluntarily by Los Angeles Country Museum.                                           | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi |
|         7 | Amin pillars                       | Amin, Haryana             | U.K                            | 1979-80                    | Voluntarily returned                                                                                         | National Museum, New Delhi |
|         8 | Image of Buddha                    | Bodhgaya, Bihar           | U.S.A                          | 1999                       | Voluntarily returned without seeking any monitory compensation by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York       | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi |

|   9. | Sculpture of Krishnajanma         | Dhubela Museum Chattarpur (M.P.)           | U.S.A       | 1999                 | Returned through the mediation of Consulate General of India, New York.                                        | Dhubela Museum, Chattarpur (M.P)          |
|------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-------------|----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|   10 | Paintings                         | i) Chandigarh Museum ii) Chandigarh Museum | U.S.A U.S.A | 10-1- 1990 4-3- 1979 | Voluntarily returned Voluntarily returned                                                                      | Chandigarh Museum Chandigarh Museum       |
|   11 | Image of Lakulisa                 | Jageswar                                   | U.S.A       | 2000                 | Voluntarily returned after negotiations by the Consulate General of India, Chichgo with Mrs. Marilynn Alsdorf. | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi                |
|   12 | Decorative Wooden panels (7 nos.) | Rajasthan                                  | Holand      | 2001                 | Voluntarily returned                                                                                           | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi                |
|   13 | Yogini Vrishanana                 | ----                                       | Paris       | 2013                 | Return on initiative of the then Minister of Culture                                                           | National Museum                           |
|   14 | Nataraja                          | Tamil Nadu                                 | Australia   | 2014                 | Voluntarily returned                                                                                           | Under the custody of Idol Wing Tamil Nadu |
|   15 | Ardhanariswara                    | Tamil Nadu                                 | Australia   | 2014                 | Voluntarily returned                                                                                           | Under the custody Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu   |
|   16 | Parrot Lady                       | Madhya Pradesh                             | Canada      | 2015                 | Voluntarily returned                                                                                           | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi                |
|   17 | Mahisamardini                     | J&K                                        | Germany     | 2015                 | Voluntarily returned                                                                                           | CAC, Purana Qila, N.                      |
|   18 | Uma Parameshwari                  | Tamil Nadu                                 | Singapor e  | 2015                 | Voluntarily returned                                                                                           | CAC, Purana Qila, New Delhi               |

## ANNEXURE II

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY PART TO (C) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.59 FOR 25.04.2016 LIST OF RETRIEVAL OF ANTIQUITIES FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES DURING LAST THREE YEARS 2013-2015 AND CURRENT YEAR  UPTO 31 st  MARCH, 2016

|   Sl.No. | Description of object   | Provenance     | Country from which retrieved   |   Date/ year of Retrieval | Means of Retrieval                                   | Present location                           |
|----------|-------------------------|----------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Yogini Vrishanana       | ----           | Paris                          |                      2013 | Return on initiative of the then Minister of Culture | National Museum                            |
|        2 | Nataraja                | Tamil Nadu     | Australia                      |                      2014 | Voluntarily returned                                 | Under the custody of Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu |
|        3 | Ardhanariswar a         | Tamil Nadu     | Australia                      |                      2014 | Voluntarily returned                                 | Under the custody of Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu |
|        4 | Parrot Lady             | Madhya Pradesh | Canada                         |                      2015 | Voluntarily returned                                 | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi                 |
|        5 | Mahisamardini           | J&K            | Germany                        |                      2015 | Voluntarily returned                                 | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi                 |
|        6 | Uma Parameshwari        | Tamil Nadu     | Singapore                      |                      2015 | Voluntarily returned                                 | CAC, Purana Qila, N. Delhi                 |