Close X
Thursday, November 7, 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

    People Are Bidding For A Bag Of Kobe Bryant’s ‘Game Used Air’

    People Are Bidding For A Bag Of Kobe Bryant’s ‘Game Used Air’
    eBay user cardemon_huskers2015 listed an item to the auction site described as “Kobe Bryant Last Game Used Air Autograph Bag 60 pts” along with a picture of a plastic bag, clearly still full of air, autographed in black marker. 

    People Are Bidding For A Bag Of Kobe Bryant’s ‘Game Used Air’

    Queen To Mark 90th Birthday With Gentle Stroll Outside Grounds Of Windsor Castle

      Just a gentle stroll outside the grounds of Windsor Castle, the lighting of a beacon, and a night at home with family are all that are on the royal plate.

    Queen To Mark 90th Birthday With Gentle Stroll Outside Grounds Of Windsor Castle

    'Something Was Weird:' Trial Starts For Woman Accused Of Concealing Remains Of 6 Infants In Storage

    'Something Was Weird:' Trial Starts For Woman Accused Of Concealing Remains Of 6 Infants In Storage
    WINNIPEG — A trial has begun for a woman accused of hiding the remains of six infants in a Winnipeg U-Haul storage locker

    'Something Was Weird:' Trial Starts For Woman Accused Of Concealing Remains Of 6 Infants In Storage

    Indian-Origin MBA Student Hit By London Tube Station, Dies

    Indian-Origin MBA Student Hit By London Tube Station, Dies
    Mir Baquer Ali Rizvi, who was pursuing Master's in business administration (MBA) here, was pronounced dead at Osterley Tube station last Tuesday.

    Indian-Origin MBA Student Hit By London Tube Station, Dies

    William And Kate To Host Kensington Palace Dinner For Obamas

    William And Kate To Host Kensington Palace Dinner For Obamas
    Kensington Palace says Prince William, his wife Kate and his brother Prince Harry will hold a dinner for the president and first lady Michelle Obama during the U.S. leader's visit to Britain this week.

    William And Kate To Host Kensington Palace Dinner For Obamas

    Quebec Woman, Son Killed In 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake In Ecuador

    Quebec Woman, Son Killed In 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake In Ecuador
    MONTREAL — Two members of a Quebec family were among those killed during a massive earthquake in Ecuador on the weekend, a relative confirmed Monday.

    Quebec Woman, Son Killed In 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake In Ecuador