Britain returns stolen idols of Lord Ram, Sita & Lakshman to India after 42 years

Sept. 16: After 42 years, the British government finally returned three idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman to India, which were stolen from a Vijayanagara period temple in Tamil Nadu in 1978. This was confirmed by Minister of Culture Prahlad Singh Patel.

An unidentified UK based collector voluntarily handed back the idols to the police on realising its stolen nature. Officials stated that information from S Vijay Kumar of the India Pride Project helped identify and trace these idols.

The Indian mission in London in the past was able to get back to India, Bramha- Brahmani sculpture which was stolen from the World heritage site Rani-Ki Vav, 12th Century Bronze statue of Buddha, two antiques – a 17th Century Bronze idol of Navanitha Krishna and a 2nd-century limestone Carved Pillar motif. Earlier this year, the mission sent back Shiva statue stolen from the Ghateshwar temple, Baroli in Rajasthan to India.