The Customs Department has transferred 101 antiquities to the ASI for display and specialized care. Among these antiquities, some will be showcased at 'Dharohar,' the National Museum of Customs & CGST located in Goa.

In July 2021, Bengaluru Customs officers discovered a 22 kg bronze item in a regular courier consignment originating from Tamil Nadu and bound for Malaysia. Despite being declared in "new condition," the object exhibited signs of oxidation, prompting further inspection by the examining officers. When Customs authorities raised concerns about the item, a request to withdraw the consignment from export was denied.

Subsequently, it was revealed that the bronze item was an antiquity depicting Lord Vishnu from the late Medieval period, which had been seized by Customs in March 2022.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman handed over a collection of 101 antique objects seized by Customs to the ASI.

Among the seized items was a 206-year-old tracker telescope belonging to the British East India Company, which was confiscated by Customs in 2018 near Rangia in Assam's Kamrup district. The telescope was intercepted while being smuggled from West Bengal to Bhutan. Following examination by an expert committee of ASI in Kolkata, it was confirmed to be genuine.

ASI confirmed the authenticity of the antique item, declaring it to be a relic utilized by the East India Company during the early 19th century.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman virtually presided over the ceremony, which was organized by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in New Delhi. The handover took place simultaneously at seven locations across the country — Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, and Pune. Officials mentioned that a selection of the 101 antiquities will be exhibited at 'Dharohar', the National Museum of Customs & CGST in Goa.

The minister emphasized the return of precious coins, antiques, and other valuable items to India from various nations over the past decade. She highlighted the government's commitment to repatriating stolen artefacts and antiquities, stating, "In the last 10 years, we have witnessed the retrieval of numerous valuable items from other countries."

CBIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal cited a significant incident where Delhi customs officials intercepted an attempt to smuggle an ancient bronze idol of 'Ma Kotrakshi', the deity of a temple in Darpangarh village, Jajpur district, Odisha. The idol was successfully restored to the temple in November 2023.

Additionally, notable antiquities included a palm leaf manuscript comprising 155 leaves with hardwood supporting covers at the top and bottom, and another manuscript containing 17 leaves made of handmade paper. The latter was written in Devanagari script and is believed to contain Buddhist texts.

The palm leaf manuscript is recognized for its composition in the classical Champu style, featuring meters and rhythms in the modern Odia script and language.

Image source: ANI