Glasgow holds ceremony to repatriate artefacts to India

GLASGOW: Glasgow held a ceremony on Friday to officially repatriate seven Indian cultural artefacts looted during British colonial rule, calling it a first for a UK museum service.

Dignitaries from the High Commission of India joined members of Glasgow Life, the charity that manages the Scottish city’s museum collections, at the transfer of ownership ceremony, following more than 18 months of talks.

Six of the items were stolen from northern India in the 1800s, and a seventh was illegally purchased after being stolen from its original owners.

All seven objects were looted from sacred places such as temples and shrines and given as gifts to the Scottish city’s museum collections.

“Glasgow has led repatriation efforts in the UK since 1998,” said Duncan Dornan, Head of Museums and Collections at Glasgow Life.

“We look forward to continuing our work with the Indian authorities to deliver the safe return of these artefacts.”