After decades in American galleries, three ancient Indian bronze sculptures, quietly taken from Tamil Nadu temples, are finally heading home, following a damning provenance review by the Smithsonian. Washington: The United States is set to return three historic South Indian bronze sculptures to India after rigorous provenance research confirmed they were illegally removed from temple sites in the mid-20th century. Archival photographs from 1956–59, in collaboration with the Photo Archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry, showed the bronzes within temples in Tamil Nadu, India, before they entered Western markets. The Archaeological Survey of India later verified that these objects were removed in violation of Indian antiquities laws. The museum is now coordinating with the Indian Embassy to finalize the repatriation and associated ceremonies, marking a significant step in international cooperation on cultural heritage protection.