Home at last: US returns centuries old stolen antiquities valued at $15 million to India

The US on Thursday returned 248 antiquities, including a 12th century bronze Shiva Nataraja, valued at an estimated $15 million to India, the “largest” such transfer of antiquities to the country.

“This extraordinary assemblage of artifacts, recovered from five different criminal investigations over the past decade, embodies the timeless cultural and cosmic bridge between ancient and modern-day India,” Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Cy Vance, Jr said in a statement.

The US returned the 248 antiquities valued at an estimated $15 million to India during a repatriation ceremony attended by India Consul General Randhir Jaiswal and US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Deputy Special Agent in Charge Erik Rosenblatt.

Jaiswal expressed gratitude to the Manhattan DA’s Office for its support and cooperation in the return of antiquities to India. “We look forward to our continued engagement to strengthen cultural ties between India and the United States,” he said.