India was historically referred to as Sone ki Chidiya (golden bird) until the British ruled the country. They came to set up a company, which we usually call the British East India Company, but what seemed to be business soon turned into rule. The era of slavery began, and during that time, numerous precious items were taken from the country, including a 16th-century bronze statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar.
However, in a significant step towards restoring cultural heritage, the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford has returned a 500-year-old bronze statue believed to have been taken from a temple in Tamil Nadu. The decision follows growing global efforts to repatriate artefacts that were removed from their places of origin during colonial times or through illicit trade.
Why did Oxford return the idol?
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford returned the 16th-century statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar to the Indian High Commission on March 3. But do you know why Oxford decided to return it? In 2019, a French scholar alerted the University of Oxford Museum and pointed out that a photograph of the statue was taken in the temple in 1957.
After the museum investigated, the Ashmolean wrote to the Indian High Commission on December 16, 2019, and requested more information. After noticing that a modern replica had replaced the original bronze, a temple executive officer filed a police report on February 11, 2020. The Indian High Commissioner made a formal claim for the return of the bronze on March 3, 2020. And, that's how the idol was finally returned to India.
About the bronze statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar
The statue, identified as a bronze figure of Saint Tirumangai Alvar, is associated with the Sri Soundararaja Perumal Temple in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district. Saint Tirumangai Alvar was one of the twelve Alvar saints of the Vaishnavite Bhakti movement in South India. He is believed to have lived between the 8th and 9th centuries CE and is revered for his deep devotion to Lord Vishnu.
Talking about Alvar, he was originally known as Neelan or Kaliyan. Tirumangai Alvar was a chieftain and warrior before he became a saint. According to tradition, his life changed after he developed a strong devotion towards Vishnu and began composing devotional hymns praising the deity. His transformation from a warrior to a spiritual poet is considered an important part of his legacy.
Restoration of legacy
The return of the centuries-old statue not only restores a sacred object to its cultural context but also highlights the growing commitment of museums worldwide to address historical injustices related to cultural property.
