Well-known as a powerful advocate for contemporary and traditional artists in India, she will be the first international appointment to the museum board.
A historic Chola-era idol of Shiva and Parvati, stolen from a temple in India and sumggled into the United States by notorious Indian art dealer Subhash Kapoor, has been recovered from a university in Indiana.
A Canadian university will soon return to India a unique statue of Hindu goddess Annapoorna that was stolen from a shrine in Varanasi over a century ago and found its way to the varsity's art gallery, in an attempt to 'right historical wrongs' and help overcome the 'damaging legacy of colonialism'.
"For some, these artefacts may be measured in monetary terms but for us this is beyond that. It's a part of our culture and heritage," the prime minister said at the ceremony held at the Blair House.
The two-and-a-half-foot idol was looted from the Sivan Temple in Tamil Nadu's Sripuranthan village.
