In a significant boost to India's cultural heritage, the United States has returned 657 stolen antiquities, collectively valued at nearly $14 million. The repatriation was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, signaling a continued crackdown on international smuggling rings, reported PTI.
The returned artifacts were recovered following several high-profile investigations into major trafficking networks. Many of these pieces were linked to Subhash Kapoor, a disgraced art dealer currently serving a prison sentence in India, and Nancy Wiener, a convicted trafficker. These networks were responsible for the illegal extraction and sale of ancient Indian treasures to galleries and private collectors globally.
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- The centerpiece of the returned collection is a rare bronze figure of ‘Avalokiteshvara', valued at approximately $2 million. The deity is depicted seated on an inscribed double-lotus base atop a lion-flanked throne. Crucially, the inscription identifies the craftsman as Dronaditya of Sipur, from a region near modern-day Raipur in Chhattisgarh. In 1982, it was stolen from the museum and smuggled into the US. In 2014, it ended up in a private collection in New York.
- Among the hundreds of artifacts returned to India is a significant sandstone figure of a dancing ‘Ganesha'. The idol was looted in 2000 from a temple in Madhya Pradesh by Ranjeet Kanwar and handed over to convicted trafficker Vaman Ghiya, who managed the logistics of selling and shipping the sacred idol to New York.
- Included in the repatriation is a striking red sandstone figure of a standing Buddha, depicted with his right hand raised in the abhaya-mudra, the traditional gesture of protection and fearlessness. The statue, originating from Northern India, is now valued at approximately $7.5 million.
Apart from 657 items, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit has recovered more than 6,200 cultural treasures. This collection, which includes rare books, artworks, and ancient objects, is valued at over $485 million. So far, the unit has returned over 5,900 artifacts to 36 countries.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office first issued an arrest warrant for Kapoor in 2012, which later led to a major indictment in November 2019 charging him and seven others for conspiring to traffic stolen artifacts. Kapoor was also convicted in India for his trafficking activities in 2022.
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