India, Mar 27 : Three historically significant sculptures taken from temples in Tamil Nadu are set to be repatriated to India from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in the United States, following confirmation that they were unlawfully removed.
India’s Deputy Chief of Mission in the US, Namgya Khampa, formalised the handover agreement with museum director Chase Robinson. The artefacts include a ninth century bronze of Shiva Nataraja, a 12th-century representation of Shiva with Uma (Somaskanda), and a 16th-century figure of Saint Sundarar accompanied by Paravi.
The Indian Embassy in Washington described the return as the homecoming of “invaluable antiquities,” highlighting their cultural, artistic and spiritual importance. Investigations into their origins established that all three pieces had been illicitly taken from temple sites in Tamil Nadu.
Despite being repatriated, the Nataraja bronze will continue to be displayed in the US on a temporary loan, allowing global audiences to engage with India’s heritage.
Two of the artefacts the Somaskanda sculpture and the Sundarar depiction were originally part of a collection donated to the museum in 1987. Detailed archival research played a crucial role in tracing their origins. Historical photographs from the French Institute of Pondicherry confirmed the presence of the Sundarar sculpture at a Shiva temple in Veerasolapuram village in 1956, while the Somaskanda idol was documented at the Vishvanatha Temple in Alathur in 1959.
Similarly, archival evidence showed that the Nataraja bronze once belonged to the Sri Bhava Aushadesvara Temple in Thanjavur district, where it was photographed in 1957 before later surfacing in the international art market. The museum acquired it from a New York gallery in 2002.
The return of these artefacts marks another step in India’s ongoing efforts to recover stolen cultural property and preserve its civilisational legacy.