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

    Putin Wants Improved Relations With Canada, But Says 'Specific Steps' Needed

    ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin says he wants to work with Canada's new Liberal government to improve relations, but he won't say how.

    Putin Wants Improved Relations With Canada, But Says 'Specific Steps' Needed

    Hundreds Practise Yoga In Beijing

    Hundreds of people practised Yoga here on Saturday to mark the International Yoga Day which will be observed on June 21.

    Hundreds Practise Yoga In Beijing

    Indian-Origin Ex-Marine Imran Yousuf Hailed As Hero In Orlando Night Club Massacre

    Indian-Origin Ex-Marine Imran Yousuf Hailed As Hero In Orlando Night Club Massacre
    Former US Marine sergeant of Indian origin, Imran Yousuf, has been hailed as a hero for saving scores of lives at a Florida night club when a terrorist went on a rampage killing 49 people.

    Indian-Origin Ex-Marine Imran Yousuf Hailed As Hero In Orlando Night Club Massacre

    Canadian Man Pleads Guilty To Making False Statements In U.S. Gun Purchases

    Canadian Man Pleads Guilty To Making False Statements In U.S. Gun Purchases
      The dealer, who alerted authorities, said Baffoe produced an American passport and an expired New Hampshire driver's licence when he asked if he was a state resident, an affidavit from federal agent John Cook says.

    Canadian Man Pleads Guilty To Making False Statements In U.S. Gun Purchases

    Nova Scotia Population Hits Record High, Thanks Mostly To Immigration

    Nova Scotia Population Hits Record High, Thanks Mostly To Immigration
    Statistics Canada released Thursday said the province's population has increased by about 4,900 people since April 2015, bringing its total population to about 947,000.

    Nova Scotia Population Hits Record High, Thanks Mostly To Immigration

    NDP MP Nathan Cullen Near Tears As He Pays Tribute To Slain British MP Jo Cox

    NDP MP Nathan Cullen Near Tears As He Pays Tribute To Slain British MP Jo Cox
    OTTAWA — MP Nathan Cullen teetered on the edge of tears as he paid tribute in the Commons today to a friend — slain British MP Jo Cox.

    NDP MP Nathan Cullen Near Tears As He Pays Tribute To Slain British MP Jo Cox