An ancient idol of Lord Buddha, believed to be from the 8th to 12th century, is set to be returned to India this month from Italy.
Named "Avalokiteshwara Padamapani", the idol was stolen from the Devisthan Kundalpur temple in the state of Bihar and smuggled out of the country in the early 2000s.
An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official told the New Indian Express that "the statue made of black stone depicts Buddha holding the stem of a blooming lotus in his left hand, with two women attendants sitting at his feet".
The stolen idol, installed for almost 1,200 years in the Devisthan Kundalpur temple, briefly surfaced in the art market in France, before it was identified in Milan by India Pride Project, Singapore and Art Recovery International, London, the ASI official said.
On Friday, the Indian Consulate in Milan was given the idol. It will reach Delhi within a month and be reinstalled at the temple.
Stolen Buddha idol returned to India.
© Photo : Twitter
According to the Indian Ministry of Culture, 157 artefacts and antiques were handed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York last year during his visit to the United States. These artefacts include figurines related to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and more.
In October, an 18th-century statuette of the Goddess Annapurna, stolen 100 years ago from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi brought back from Ottawa, Canada, and reinstalled at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.