Three Bronze Sculptures Repatriated to India

LONDON, ENGLAND—The Hindustan Times reports that in a remote ceremony, British police officials handed over three sculptures stolen from a temple site in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu in 1978 to Prahlad Singh Patel, India’s Minister for Culture and Tourism. The sculptures represent Lord Ram, his brother Lakshman, and wife Sita, who are central to the ancient epic the Ramayana. “The Metropolitan Police are proud to have been involved in the return of these Chola bronzes to India,” said Tim Wright, detective chief inspector of the Metropolitan Police. The sculptures, which had been held in a private collection in England, will be returned to the temple from which they were taken. To read about a 2,000-year-old island temple complex in Tamil Nadu, go to "India's Temple Island."