Oxford University has agreed to return a 500-year-old Hindu sculpture of Tirumankai Alvar to India.

The return follows a claim by the Indian High Commission that the statue was looted from an Indian temple by Britishers.

The University's council has expressed support for the return, pending approval from the Charity Commission.

This move is part of a growing trend of cultural restitution and acknowledgment of colonial-era acquisitions.

A similar decision was made in 2022 to return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.