US Returns 657 Ancient Treasures Worth $14 Million to India

The United States has returned 657 ancient artifacts, valued together at nearly $14 million, to India. The return was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg during an event attended by Rajlakshmi Kadam from the Indian consulate in New York. These items were recovered after investigations into illegal trafficking networks.

Bragg highlighted that the scale of these networks, which target India’s cultural heritage, is significant. He emphasized that more efforts are needed to recover stolen artifacts and praised his team for their relentless work.

Binaya Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York, thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and law enforcement agencies for their cooperation and vigilance in making the recovery possible.

Among the returned items is a $2 million bronze statue of Avalokiteshvara, discovered near the Lakshmana Temple in 1939 and stolen from a museum in 1982. Another artifact is a sandstone figure of Ganesha, taken from a temple in Madhya Pradesh in 2000.