25 APR 2023 The Stolen sculpture of Lord Hanuman belonging to Chola Period has been retrieved and handed over to the Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu.The sculpture of Lord Hanuman was stolen from a Vishnu Temple, Shri Varatharaja Perumal, Pottaveli Vellur, Ariyalur district. It belongs to late Chola Period (14th -15th century). It was documented by “French institute of Pondicherry” in the year 1961. The sculpture was handed over to High Commissioner of India in Canberra. The idol was returned to India in last week of February, 2023 and handed over to Idol Wing, Tamil Nadu as a case property on 18.04.2023.Government of India is working towards safeguarding the country’s antiquarian heritage within the nation and instrumental in retrieving antiquities which were unlawfully taken abroad in the past. Till date 251 antiquities have been retrieved back from different countries, out of which 238 have been brought back since 2014.
