Varanasi: An idol of Maa Annapurna which was stolen from Varanasi about 100 years ago and later was found in Canada was handed over to the Uttar Pradesh government.
According to reports, the idol will be installed at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on 15 November.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Union Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi said, "An idol of Maa Annapurna, which was stolen from Varanasi about 100 years ago was retrieved from Canada recently. The idol will be installed at Kashi Vishwanath temple on 15 November."
The idol is 17 cm in height and 9 cm in breadth.
The idol which first landed in New Delhi will be received with fanfare at four places including Kasganj, Kanpur, Ayodhya and Kashi. "People will be given an opportunity to do darshan," Additinal Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi was quoted as saying.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath speaking to media said, "A 100 years ago an idol of Maa Annapurna was stolen from Kashi. It ended up at a university in Canada with the exchange of hands. The government of India has received that idol from the University, it is now being given to the Government of Uttar Pradesh."
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy said that Prime Minister Modi has arranged for 55 idols, sculptures and paintings to be brought back from various foreign countries.
It is to be mentioned here that between 2014, when Modi came to power, and 2021, over 200 antiquities have either returned or are in the process of being returned.
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