PIB News Update: The Archaeological Survey of India is constantly making efforts through Indian missions abroad for retrieval of illegally exported artefacts of historical importance, as and when they surface abroad. Till date, a total number of 54 antiquities have been retrieved.
A number of artefacts were taken by the imperialists during colonial period, some of them are of historical importance.
ANTIQUITIES RETRIEVED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES FROM 1976 TO 2021
| SL. NO. | DESCRIPTION OF OBJECT | PROVENANCE | COUNTRY FROM WHICH RETRIEVED | DATE/
YEAR OF RETRIEVAL |
| 1. | Sawn stucco Head | Nalanda, Bihar | U.K. and France | 1976 |
| 2. | Nataraja of Chola period | Sivapuram Tamil Nadu | U.S.A. | 1986 |
| 3. | Terracotta Yakshi of Tamluk | West Bengal | U.K. | 1986 |
| 4. | Nataraja of Chola period | Tiruvilakkadi, Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 1986 |
| 5. | Nataraja of Chola period | Pathur, Tamil Nadu | U.K. | 1991 |
| 6. | Terracotta figures from Bhitargaon | Utter Pradesh | U.S.A | 1991 |
| 7. | Amin pillars | Amin, Haryana | U.K | 1979-80 |
| 8. | Image of Buddha | Bodhagaya, Bihar | U.S.A | 1999 |
| 9. | Sculpture of Krishnajanma | Dhubela Museum Chattarpur (M.P.) | U.S.A | 1999 |
| 10. | Paintings | i) Chandigarh Museum ii) Chandigarh Museum |
U.S.A
U.S.A |
1990
1979 |
| 11. | Image of Lakulisa | Jageswar, Uttarakhand | U.S.A | 2000 |
| 12. | Decorative Wooden panels (7 nos.) | Rajasthan | Holand | 2001 |
| 13. | Retrieval of Yogini Vrishanana | — | Paris | 2013 |
| 14 | Nataraja | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2014 |
| 15 | Ardhanareeswar | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2014 |
| 16 | Parrot Lady | Madhya Pradesh | Canada | 2015 |
| 17 | Durga (Mahishmardini) | J&K | Germany | 2015 |
| 18 | Uma Parameshwari | Tamil Nadu | Singapore | 2015 |
| 19 | Bronze image of Saint Manikkavachaka | Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 20 | Metal image of Ganesha | Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 21 | Terracotta Female Figure (Honolulu Museum) | Central India | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 22 | Male Deity (Honolulu Museum) | Madhya Pradesh | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 23 | Floral Tile, Harvan | Kashmir | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 24 | Sri Devi, Chola Period | Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 25 | Metal image of Bahubali | Andhra Pradesh | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 26 | Metal image of Parvati | Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 27 | Terracotta Plaque | West Bengal | USA | 2016 |
| 28
|
Metal image of Bhoodevi | Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 29 | Metal image of Chakkarathalwar | Tamil Nadu | U.S.A | 2016 |
| 30 | Seated Buddha | Uttar Pradesh | Australia | 2016 |
| 31 | Panel of Devotees of Buddha | Andhra Pradesh | Australia | 2016 |
| 32 | Stone image Pratyangira | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2016 |
| 33 | Sand Stone Male Figure in Tribhanga Posture | Central India | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 34 | Sand Stone Bust of a Female | Central India | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 35 | Sand Stone broken Figure | Central India | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 36 | Stone image of Durga | Tamil Nadu | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 37 | Damaged Sand Stone image of Nataraja in dancing posture. | Central India | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 38 | Mutilated Sand Stone Panel depicting two male Figures (vidhyadharas). | Central India | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 39 | Stone image of a couple (mithuna) figure carved under a niche from Atru. | Rajasthan | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 40 | Stone image of a couple (mithuna) Figure from Atru. | Rajasthan | U.S.A. | 2017 |
| 41. | Stone sculpture of Brahma and Brahamani | Gujarat | U.K. | 2017 |
| 42. | Durga Mahishasurmardini | Uttarakhand | USA MET Museum | 2018 |
| 43 | Bodhisattva Head | Andhra Pradesh | USA MET Museum | 2018 |
| 44 | Image of Buddha | Bihar | UK | 2019 |
| 45 | Idol of Bronze Nataraja | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2019
|
| 46 | Nagaraja (The serpent King) Stone sculpture | Central India. | Australia | 2020 |
| 47 | (a) Dwarpala, stone sculpture | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2020 |
| 48 | (b) Dwarpala, stone sculpture | Tamil Nadu | Australia | 2020 |
| 49 | Lime stone relief | Andhra Pradesh | U.K. | 2020 |
| 50 | Stone sculpture of Shiva (Nataraja) | Rajasthan | U.K. | 2020 |
| 51 | Metal idol of Rama | Tamil Nadu | UK | 2020 |
| 52 | Metal idol of Laxamana | Tamil Nadu | UK | 2020 |
| 53 | Metal idol of Sita | Tamil Nadu | UK | 2020 |
| 54 | Navaneetha Krishna | South India | UK | 2021 |
This information was given by Minister of Culture, Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Rajya Sabha Today.