NEW DELHI, Nov 11: An antique stone sculpture of Buddha and estimated to be dating back to 2nd or 3rd century was seized by custom officials in Amritsar on Friday.
The artefact was found in the bag of a foreign national who arrived in India via Integrated Check Post on the Attari-Wagah border with Pakistan. He was intercepted and his baggage examined when the officers detected a stone sculpture of Buddha, Commissioner of Customs (Amritsar) Rahul Nangare said.
The matter was referred to the office of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Chandigarh circle. “The ASI has now given report confirming that the sculpture fragment appears to be Buddha of the Gandhara School of Art and tentatively datable to 2nd or 3rd CE and falls under the category of antiquity under the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972,” said the
Commissioner in a statement.
The stone sculpture has been seized under the Customs Act and Art Treasure Act, 1972, and further investigation is underway, he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
