Close X
Monday, November 25, 2024
ADVT 
International

Australia To Return Stolen 1,800-Year-Old Buddha Statue To India

Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Jul, 2016 12:08 PM
    An 1,800-year-old Buddha statue which was displayed in the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) is being prepared for its return to India, after it was found to have been purchased from an illegal antiquity trafficker, authorities said on Friday.
     
    The second-century statue stands at 1.3 metres tall, and was purchased from Asian art specialist Nancy Wiener by billionaire Ros Packer, on behalf of the NGA, in 2007, Xinhua news agency reported.
     
    However documents revealed that NGA staff simply accepted Wiener's story of how she came to be in possession of the antiquity, unaware that it was in fact stolen from an archaeological site in Mathura, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradhesh.
     
    NGA director Gerard Vaughan told News Corp on Friday that the sculpture would likely be returned to Indian government officials when they visit Australia for an Indian cultural festival in September.
     
    "There is a high-level delegation coming in September so we're investigating whether that will be the moment of hand over," Vaughan said.
     
    "Or (we) simply come to an agreement with India, because it is no longer our property, whether it can just be sent back to India. "
     
    The condition of the statue was so good that it was initially thought to be a fake, though when experts from the Archaeological Survey of India examined the piece, it was revealed to be genuine.
     
    "One of the reasons was because it's of great age and was in very good condition. Good condition can denote a fake," Vaughan said.
     
    "It was good for them to come back to us and say it was authentic and certainly something that should be returned to India, " he said.
     
    According to Vaughan, the NGA would be reviewing all 5,000 Asian antiquities in its collection due to the "culture" of failing to adequately check the background of its dealers.
     
    The news follows the arrest last month of one of the gallery's main suppliers, Subhash Kapoor, who was charged with illegal trafficking of antiquities.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Lagging In Fundraising, Donald Trump Calls On Gop For More Support

    WASHINGTON — Donald Trump acknowledged Tuesday that he is struggling to rally fellow Republicans as new fundraising reports show him badly lagging Hillary Clinton in campaign cash.

    Lagging In Fundraising, Donald Trump Calls On Gop For More Support

    Authorities: Man At Vegas Rally Said He Wanted To Kill Trump

    A complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Nevada charges Michael Steven Sandford with an act of violence on restricted grounds.

    Authorities: Man At Vegas Rally Said He Wanted To Kill Trump

    Pakistan Woman Paraded With Blackened Face, Shaved Head For Eloping

    Pakistan Woman Paraded With Blackened Face, Shaved Head For Eloping
    A 23-year-old woman was paraded in her village streets with blackened face and shaved off head by her family members for allegedly eloping with a man, the latest in a series of 'honour' related crimes in Pakistan's Punjab province.

    Pakistan Woman Paraded With Blackened Face, Shaved Head For Eloping

    World Gets Ready To Observe Second Yoga Day

    World Gets Ready To Observe Second Yoga Day
    The world is ready to observe the second International Day of Yoga (IDY) on Tuesday as Indian missions abroad held many practice sessions to prepare thousands of people for the day.

    World Gets Ready To Observe Second Yoga Day

    Justin Trudeau Condemns Killing Of 14 Canadian Embassy Security Guards In Kabul

      The Canadian Embassy in Kabul confirmed Monday that the guards were on their way there when the bombing happened, but said there had been no attack on its embassy premises.

    Justin Trudeau Condemns Killing Of 14 Canadian Embassy Security Guards In Kabul

    US Should Start Thinking About Racial Profiling, Says Donald Trump

    US Should Start Thinking About Racial Profiling, Says Donald Trump
    Citing the example of Israel and other countries in this regard, 70-year-old Trump argued this is not the worst thing to do.

    US Should Start Thinking About Racial Profiling, Says Donald Trump