18th-Century Goddess Annapurna Statue Being Brought From Canada To Be Installed In Varanasi On November 15

Lucknow, November 3 (TNA) The treasured 18th century statue of goddess Annapurna, lost more than a century ago and transported to Canada will be installed at Varanasi on November 15, an official said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be doing the honours and the statue will begin its home ward journey on November 11.

It will briefly be put up in Soron of Kasganj district the next day and on November 13 it will arrive in Rampur from where it will reach Ayodhya the next day. The statue is originally believed to be from Varanasi was part of the University of Regina’s collection housed at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

It is being brought back at the initiative of prime minister Narendra Modi, who is also the Lok Sabha MP from this holy temple town. The statue was handed over by the interim president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina, Thomas Chase, to India’s high commissioner to Ottawa, Ajay Bisaria in a virtual repatriation ceremony held on last Thursday.

In a media release, the University of Regina said the statue was part of a bequest in 1936 by Norman MacKenzie, the gallery’s namesake. While preparing for an upcoming exhibit at the gallery, artist Divya Mehra went through MacKenzie’s collection and saw the statue.

"Artist Divya Mehra brought attention to the fact that the statue was wrongfully taken over a century ago while going through the MacKenzie’s permanent collection and preparing for her exhibition From India to Canada and Back to India," it said.