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Updated January 15th, 2022 at 06:37 IST

London returns 10th Century 'Yogini' sculpture to India that went missing from UP in 1980s

Indian sculpture dating back to the 10th century was returned to Indian after being illegally removed from a temple in Uttar Pradesh and discovered in England.

Reported by: Rohit Ranjan
London
Image: @HCI_London/Twitter | Image:self
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An Indian sculpture dating back to the 10th century was returned to India after being illegally removed from a temple in Uttar Pradesh and discovered in England around 40 years ago on Friday. Yogini, the goat-headed goddess, vanished from Lokhari in the 1980s and reappeared in 1988 on the London art market.

As per the reports of PTI, Chris Marinello of Art Recovery International, the organisation that assisted in the repatriation of the idol, at the High Commission of India in London returned the idol to the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Gaitri Issar Kumar. The sculpture, which is part of a Yogini set from Lokhari Temple in Bundelkhand's Banda area, will now be sent to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in New Delhi. Chris Marinello called Vijay Kumar, who is the Co-Founder of the India Pride Project, that aims to restore India's lost artefacts, who was able to identify the sculpture.

The repatriation process was completed at record speed

At a transfer ceremony at India House, Gaitri Issar Kumar stated that it is really auspicious to be receiving this Yogini on Makar Sankranti, according to PTI. Kumar also said that this will now be forwarded to the ASI, who will likely send it over to the National Museum.

Kumar recounted the coincidence of another ancient sculpture of a buffalo-headed Vrishanana Yogini being unearthed and transferred to India during her diplomatic service in Paris, according to PTI. The goat-headed Yogini is most likely to end up at the National Museum in New Delhi. Yoginis are powerful female divinities that are involved with Tantric worship. They are worshipped as a group, usually in groups of 64, and are thought to have limitless abilities.

The private garden where the sculpture was discovered

London's First Secretary of Trade and Economics at the Indian High Commission in London, Jaspreet Singh Sukhija, has been working on the repatriation of the sculpture, acquiring required documents, and assuring anonymity for the elderly woman who owns the private garden where the sculpture was discovered, according to PTI. Pictures of the sculpture were circulated on the internet announcing the news that the goat-headed sculpture has been returned to India.

(Inputs from PTI)

Image: @HCI_London/Twitter

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Published January 15th, 2022 at 06:35 IST

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