State-of-the-art museum to house artifacts retrieved from abroad

He said documentation for the items had been initiated and was likely to be completed by July-end.

Out of the ASI’s repository of 3,000 antiques — confiscated by the Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs Department (and handed over to the ASI after the cases are disposed of) — and several high-value sculptures that have been returned to India by foreign countries between 2014 and 2017, around 25-30 are likely to be put on display initially.

“We shall either expand the display after gauging the response, or make it a rotational display, since it involves priceless antiques and artifacts,” Dimri said.

The display is likely to include 900-year-old Parrot Lady sculpture stolen from Khajuraho, returned by Canada in 2015; a bronze sculpture of Nataraja (Lord Shiva) returned by Australia in 2014; a floral tile from Kashmir returned by the US in 2016; a Chola period Sri Devi returned by the US in 2016; and a stone sculpture of Brahma and Brahmani stolen from Gujarat, returned by the UK in 2017.

“The entire collection, including religious statues, bronzes and terra-cotta pieces, some dating back 2,000 years, were looted from some of India’s most treasured religious sites and is estimated at over $300 million,” said an official from the ASI, adding the mandate to showcase these treasures had come from the PMO.

Currently, all the antiquities returned to the government by foreign embassies and heads of state as part of diplomatic gestures, or those seized by Indian authorities, while being transported illegally outside the country, are stored in a strong room in Purana Qila.

NK Pathak, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI Delhi Circle, said, “Since the antiquities are already inside the complex, we thought what better than creating a unique museum here itself… We are trying to do up the cells as per the original Mughal style.”