A “very special” ‘Avalokiteshwara Padamapani’ idol of Lord Buddha has been recovered over 20 years after it was smuggled out of India, the Indian consulate in Milan said in a statement.
The idol survived for almost 1200 years in the Devisthan Kundulpur temple till it was illicitly stolen and smuggled out of India in early 2000, the consulate said.
The stolen idol had briefly surfaced in the art market in France, before being located in Milan, Italy.
India Pride Project, Singapore, and Art Recovery International, London swiftly assisted in the identification and return of the stolen idol, the Indian consulate said.
The Indian Consulate in Milan was given the idol and it will be sent to the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, the Indian Consulate said on Friday.
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