Vijayawada: The AP government has decided to bring back Buddhist sculptures belonging to the state from the United Kingdom.
A rare collection of 70 pieces from the famous Buddhist centre at Amaravati in Guntur district has been on display at the Joseph Hotung Gallery at the British Museum in London.
It was gathering dust for over 50 years in the basement of the museum and was put on display after repeated requests by Buddhist groups.
Museum records say the sculptures were excavated by the British almost 140 years ago and were shipped to the UK from Madras in 1859.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had asked officials of the tourism department to take up the matter with the Centre. He also asked officials to try to get back the Buddhist sculptures lying at the Chennai Museum.
According to a report published in a magazine, the 2,000-year-old sculptures were made using the local limestone called “Palanadu marble”. The collection includes carvings based on Buddhist themes like five-headed snakes, lotuses and elephants.
“The stupa at Amaravati was cased with carved panels which collapsed during the medieval period and were virtually buried. The slabs were excavated in 1845 by the British and over 120 were shipped to the UK,” the report had stated.
