New Delhi: In a significant milestone in India’s efforts to bring back stolen cultural treasures, two historic Indian bronzes originally from temples in Tamil Nadu – the 12th century Chola period sculptures of Somaskanda (Shiva and Uma) and the 16th century saints Sundarar and Paravai – were brought back to India on Tuesday night from the Smithsonian – National Museum of Asian Art in the United States. The third – the idol of Lord Nataraja – will be brought back after being displayed in an exhibition under a three-year loan agreement.Apart from highlighting the return of these temple artefacts, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also said that under the framework of the recent cultural property agreement with the US, US law enforcement agencies have already handed over 657 additional art objects of Indian origin to the Indian Embassy in the US. He said arrangements are being made for their transportation and verification by ASI experts for their archaeological status.“These will be evaluated, packed and brought back to India, after which they will undergo detailed examination and certification,” Shekhawat said. The minister also pointed out that out of 668 antiquities brought back from different countries since 1972, 655 have returned after the Modi government came to power in 2014.Meanwhile, in the case of the ‘Shiva Nataraja’ statue of the Chola period (circa 990 CE), which originally belonged to the Sri Bhava Aushadesvara temple in Thanjavur district, the Government of India, at the request of the Smithsonian, has agreed to a three-year loan agreement with the museum (2025-28). The statue will be brought back after being displayed in an exhibition where the visitors will get a glimpse of the entire historical journey from origin to repatriation.The government has justified the decision to extend the loan arrangement in relation to Shiva Nataraja as a “goodwill gesture” and in support of “responsible museum participation”. The Minister said the spirit behind the agreement was to enable public presentation of its entire historical journey – from provenance to repatriation – while strengthening ethical museum practices and provenance research standards.“Guided by the personal interest and direction of the Prime Minister, the return of these antiquities has been possible due to coordinated efforts between the Ministry of Culture, ASI, Indian Embassies abroad and various enforcement agencies,” the minister said.These sacred temple bronzes, originally from Tamil Nadu, were illegally removed from India in the mid-20th century and later stored abroad.The two bronzes brought back from America are displayed in the National Museum along with 11 antiquities brought back from Australia, including Shunga-period terracotta objects, a Pala period statue of Varaha, an 11th-century Bodhisattva statue and a wooden statue of Brahma.In the case of three bronzes from the US, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) successfully traced the artefacts to their original temple sites in Tamil Nadu, through extensive provenance research using archival records, field documentation and historical temple photographs from the 1950s and 1960s. The findings formed the basis of coordinated talks involving the Ministry of Culture, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Indian Embassy in the United States. The photograph of Shiva Nataraja belonging to Sri Bhava Aushadeswara temple was taken in 1957 and the photograph of Saint Sundarar with Paravai sculpture was taken in 1956 at the Shiva temple of Veersolapuram village. The photograph of Somaskanda was taken in 1959 at the Vishwanath temple in Alathur village.In January 2026, the Smithsonian announced the return of three important Indian bronzes, which have deep spiritual significance and were historically used in temple processions.As for where the bronze statues from these temples will eventually be housed, according to the Culture Ministry, it is ideal that repatriated antiquities are returned to the place where they were originally located. In case of antiquities whose place of origin cannot be identified, they are retained by the ASI.