India has started making diplomatic efforts to bring back the 11th-century white marble statue of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), which was taken to Britain from the historic Bhojshala in Dhar a century ago.
According to a Jagran.com report, the Central government is in constant touch with the London Museum following the request of the Madhya Pradesh government and the directions of the High Court. This has raised hopes of adding another major chapter to India's record of successfully bringing back over 650 ancient artefacts since 2014.
Main issue in BRICS conference held in Bhopal
The return of the idol of Goddess Vagdevi, associated with the historic Bhojshala of Dhar, will be the most prominent local and cultural issue at the BRICS Culture Working Group and Culture Ministers' meeting to be held in Bhopal.
India will use the four-day conference to develop a strong global strategy and cooperation framework among BRICS countries to bring back sculptures, artefacts and ancient artefacts stolen, smuggled or illegally taken abroad during the colonial period.
For Madhya Pradesh, the issue of the Vagdevi idol is an immediate, emotionally charged debate, sparking widespread global discussion. The question now is whether the statue of the goddess Vagdevi, revered from the British Museum in London, will finally return to Dhar?
Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal said that after receiving the request from the Madhya Pradesh government, the Centre has maintained constant contact through diplomatic and institutional channels.
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MP government wrote a letter
"Soon after I took over as Secretary in the Union Culture Ministry, the Madhya Pradesh government wrote to us requesting the return of the statue of Goddess Vagdevi kept in the British Museum. Since then, we have been working continuously through diplomatic channels as well as at the museum level," Agarwal said.