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Oxford University to repatriate 500-year-old bronze statue to India

Oxford University has agreed to return a 500-year-old bronze sculpture of Hindu saint Tirumankai Alvar to India. The nearly 60cm tall statue, which depicts Tirumankai Alvar, was displayed at the university’s Ashmolean Museum. The Indian High Commission asserted that the 16th-century sculpture had been looted from a temple in South India.

A statement from the Ashmolean Museum indicated that the University of Oxford’s council supported the Indian High Commission’s claim for the return of the sculpture on March 11, 2024. The decision is now pending approval from the Charity Commission.

Tirumangai Alvar was the last among the 12 Alvar saints of South India, known for their profound devotion to Lord Vishnu within the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The return of the sculpture marks a significant step towards addressing historical claims and cultural restitution.

In a separate historical matter, during King Charles’s coronation last May, Queen Consort Camilla chose to wear Queen Mary’s crown, omitting the inclusion of the contentious Koh-i-Noor diamond. This renowned gem, acquired by the East India Company in Punjab, northern India, following the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849, remains a prominent part of the British crown jewels housed at the Jewel House in the Tower of London. India has consistently asserted its ownership claim over the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which has been used in ceremonies including the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

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