A centuries-old Buddha statue, stolen from a Nepali temple, has been returned to its original home. This is one of several artifacts recently brought back from foreign museums and collectors.
The 13th-century statue was carried in a special palanquin back to its pagoda-style temple in Kathmandu. Traditional music played during the ceremony on Friday.
Sunkesari Shakya, 67, a temple-goer, shared her joy. She remembered the day the statue was stolen, which caused "havoc" in the community. "I feel so happy, we all do. Our god is coming back," she told AFP news agency.
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Start Your News DetoxA Return to its Rightful Place
The statue came back from New York in 2022. It was placed back on its original stone base during a ceremony attended by a US envoy. This event happened during Buddha Jayanti, a festival celebrating the birth of Buddhism's founder.
A replica that locals had been worshipping was moved to another part of the temple. The original statue was taken from the temple in the 1980s. It later appeared at Tibet House US, a cultural center in New York, where an unknown monk had gifted it. This information comes from Nepal’s Department of Archaeology.
Sergio Gor, Washington’s special envoy to South and Central Asia, spoke about the effort. He said the focus is on returning "incredible artefacts that decades past got into the wrong hands." Gor added, "We are trying to right a wrong from the past." He was in Nepal for a three-day visit.
Devotees carry a sculpture of the Buddha to be reinstalled at a temple in Kathmandu [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
Reclaiming Cultural Heritage
Nepal is a deeply religious nation with 30 million people. Its Hindu and Buddhist temples and heritage sites are a key part of daily life. However, many sites are missing centuries-old sculptures, paintings, and other items. These were often stolen after the country opened up to the outside world in the 1950s.
Many pieces were taken with the help of corrupt officials. They ended up in art markets in the US, Europe, and other places, even though their export is illegal.
The Archaeology Department reports that about 200 artifacts have been returned to Nepal. These include wood and stone carvings, paintings, scriptures, and idols. At least 41 artifacts have been put back in their original spots.
Conservation expert Rabindra Puri highlighted the importance of these returns. "Our statues are not just objects of art but part of a living heritage," he told AFP.
Puri noted a growing push to return stolen artifacts. Over 400 are officially listed as missing, but experts believe the true number is in the thousands. Authorities are actively working to bring back more artifacts from the US, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
