The Idol Wing CID police have furnished documents to the Ashmolean Museum, in Oxford, U.K., for restitution of a 16th-century bronze idol of Thirumangai Azhwar. Recently, three culturally significant artefacts — a pair of ‘Dwarapala’ (door guardians) from Tamil Nadu and one ‘Nagaraja (serpent king)’ from either Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, purchased from idol smuggler that was returned to India by the Australian government.
About Thirumangai Azhwar:
- He is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism.
- He holds the title Narkavi Perumal, the mark of an excellent poet and Parakala.
- After his conversion to Vaishnavism, he confronted practitioners of rival Hindu sects of Shaivism as well as Buddhism and Jainism.
- He was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu.
- Thirumangai was a wide traveller, starting from Tri Prithu in North (now known as Joshimutt), he travelled down south to Thirukottiyoor in Tirunelveli District of Tamilnadu.
Legal provisions to curb idol smuggling:
- Ambit of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)- At the central level, nationally protected monuments fall under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ministry of Culture and is responsible for archaeological research and conservation and preservation of around 3,650 monuments categorized as “national heritage”.
- Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958- It administers these under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 (AMASR Act).
- Declaring list of heritage- In addition, many cities put in their own effort towards protecting urban heritage by declaring a City List of such heritage items that are of local significance and are administered by the local government.
- Regulation of exports- The Antiquities Export Control Act, 1947 and Rules regulate the export of antiquities.
- National Monument Authority – An amendment in AMASR Act provided for the constitution of the National Monument Authority charged with the grading and classifying of protected monuments and areas.
- Regulation of Antiquities and Art movement- The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972 was enacted for effective control over the movable cultural property consisting of antiquities and art treasures.
- A number of state heritage laws have also been enacted.
- Signatory to World Heritage Convention- India’s commitment to heritage was further emphasized when it became a signatory to UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention for the protection of global and national heritage.
Govt. initiatives:
- Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation – The Union Budget 2020-21 proposed the setting up of an Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation under the Ministry of Culture. Five archaeological sites in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to be developed with on-site museums
- National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA)- Over 14 lakh antiquities have been documented in the country by the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) which was launched in 2007 to prepare a National Register on Antiquities by documenting antiquities from different sources in a uniform format.
The Ministry of Culture has the following four Missions:
- National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities
- National Mission on Manuscripts
- National Mission on Libraries
- Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission.
- National Film Heritage Mission – The National Film Heritage Mission is an important initiative of the I&B Ministry to preserve and conserve the country’s cinematic heritage. The Government has committed towards its implementation in a time-bound manner.
- National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme with a focus on the holistic development of heritage cities.
- Draft Antiquities Bill- The Centre proposed doing away with the requirement of a license for selling antiques within the country in its draft Antiquities Bill dated 2017.
- As per the draft law, the government wants to set up an expert advisory committee, which will make the decisions the ASI has been taking so far.
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