US Museum to Return Three Ancient Bronze Sculptures Stolen from Tamil Nadu to India | 02 Feb 2026

Why in News?

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art announced it would return three ancient bronze sculptures to India. The decision follows a multi-year provenance investigation which confirmed the artefacts were illegally removed from temples in Tamil Nadu.

Key Points: 

• Repatriated Sculptures: The three relics are masterpieces of South Indian bronze casting, originally used as sacred procession icons in temple rituals:  
  • Shiva Nataraja: A Chola-period masterpiece dating to circa 990 CE. 
  • Somaskanda: A 12th-century Chola bronze depicting Shiva with his wife Parvati and son Skanda. 
  • Saint Sundarar with Paravai: A 16th-century Vijayanagar-period bronze depicting the Tamil saint and his wife.  
• Identification: The sculptures' original locations were confirmed using rare 1950s photographs from the French Institute of Pondicherry archives. 
• Original Sites:The Shiva Nataraja was stolen from the Sri Bhava Aushadesvara Temple in Thanjavur district. 
  • The Somaskanda was traced to the Visvanatha Swamy Temple in Alathur village, Thiruvarur district. 
  • The Saint Sundarar sculpture originated from a Shiva temple in Veerasolapuram village, Kallakurichi district. 
• Museum’s Ethical Commitment:The Smithsonian museum cited its ethical stewardship and transparency policies, including its Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns Policy, as the basis for agreeing to repatriate the sculptures. 
• Cultural heritage restoration: Return of sacred temple bronzes strengthens India’s efforts to reclaim its artistic lineage and religious history.