Stolen Chola period Hanuman sculpture retrieved and handed over to Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu

By  India Blooms News Service   Apr 25, 2023

New Delhi/IBNS: The stolen sculpture of Lord Hanuman belonging to the Chola period has been retrieved and handed over to the Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu, the Ministry of Culture said on Tuesday.

The sculpture of Lord Hanuman was stolen from a Vishnu Temple, Shri Varatharaja Perumal, Pottaveli Vellur, Ariyalur district.

It dates to the late Chola Period (14th -15th century).

The sculpture was documented by The French Institute of Pondicherry in the year 1961.

The sculpture was handed over to the High Commissioner of India in Canberra, Australia.

The idol was returned to India in the last week of February 2023 and handed over to Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu as a case property on 18.04.2023, the ministry said.

The Centre is working towards safeguarding the countrys antiquarian heritage within the nation and instrumental in retrieving antiquities which were unlawfully taken abroad in the past, according to the statement.

To date 251 antiquities have been retrieved back from different countries, out of which 238 have been brought back since 2014, it said.