On the 72nd celebration of India's Independence Day, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, YK Sinha, has received a Buddha statue, stolen from the Bihar region 57 years ago.
The Buddha statue is one of fourteen statues stolen from the Nalanda Archaeological museum almost six decades ago
Originating in India, the bronze and silver statue was stolen in 1961 and discovered in the UK more than four decades later
After exchanging hands with multiple dealers, the statue was identified at a trade fair and it was agreed that it would be returned to its home in India.
"As we celebrate India's Independence Day, I am proud to highlight the latest example of the UK's cultural diplomacy in action. Thanks to the work of the Metropolitan Police’s Arts and Antiques Unit, we are one of the first countries to recover one of the fourteen elusive Buddha statues stolen from Nalanda nearly sixty years ago."
Michael Ellis
UK Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism
For more information, read the Metropolitan Police's press release.
