Smithsonian returns 2 stolen Tamil Nadu bronze sculptures to India
Two ancient bronze sculptures, stolen from Tamil Nadu temples back in the mid-1900s, were returned to India in May 2026.
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art handed over a 12th-century Somaskanda (showing Shiva and Uma) and a 16th-century statue of Saint Sundarar with Paravai.
However, a Chola-era Shiva Nataraja idol will stay at the Smithsonian until 2028 as part of an exhibition loan.
India credits Ministry of Culture, ASI
This return was made possible thanks to teamwork between India's Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and Indian embassies abroad and enforcement agencies.
ASI tracked down their origins using archival records, field documentation and photos from the 1950s and 1960s.
Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared that another 657 Indian artifacts recently recovered from the US are being checked for transport.
Since 2014, India has brought back 655 artifacts, each one helping restore pieces of its history.