India Intensifies Diplomatic Efforts to Restore Vagdavi Idol to Bhojshala Temple
The idol was kept in British museum since a century ago
Bhopal: India has intensified diplomatic efforts to repatriate the Vagdevi idol, kept in the British Museum in London since a century ago, for its restoration in the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district.
The Centre has launched sustained efforts through diplomatic channels in the United Kingdom over the past several months to repatriate the historic idol and restore it in the Goddess Vagdevi shrine in the Bhojshala complex, a senior officer said on Thursday.
“The Madhya Pradesh government had moved the Centre seeking repatriation of the Vagdevi idol from the British Museum in London. Since then, we have been continuously working through diplomatic channels as well as at the museum level”, Union culture secretary Vivek Agrawal said.
The issue is most likely to come up prominently at the four-day deliberations of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Culture Working Group and Culture Ministers’ meetings, commenced in Bhopal on August five.
The meeting will deliberate on strengthening cooperation among the BRICS countries on the recovery of idols, sculptures, and antiquities stolen, trafficked or removed during the colonial period, officials said here.
Around 1.8 meters tall marbled sculpture Vagdevi, weighing 250 kg, belongs to the Parmar ruling dynasty, as indicated by an inscription found in it.
The museum records identify Major- General William Kincaid as the source of procurement of the magnificent sculpture which formed the collection of the museum in 1909.
Demand for restoration of the idol to the Bhojshala temple has grown after the Madhya Pradesh high court declared the disputed site of Bhojshala temple- Kamal Maula Mosque in Dhar district as a shrine dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi on May 25 and ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to stop the Friday namaz at the complex and allow the Hindus to perform pujas daily.
Before the verdict by the Madhya Pradesh high court, the ASI had made an arrangement to resolve the dispute between Hindus and Muslims amid competing claims by the warring communities over the complex, by allowing Hindus to perform puja at the Vagdevi temple on every Tuesday while permitting the Muslims to offer namaz at the mosque on every Friday.
The verdict by the Madhya Pradesh high court has been challenged in the supreme court by the Muslims.