KATHMANDU, March 30: A total of 21 artistic artifacts of archaeological significance, stolen from Nepal and taken to the United States, have been brought back to the country. On Sunday morning, the Department of Archeology handed over these artifacts to the respective local authorities.
Among them are three Paubha paintings (dating back to the 15th-18th centuries), which went missing from Itumbahal, Kathmandu, in 1980 (2037 B.S).
Similarly, a 9th-century stone statue of a standing Buddha, which was stolen from the Machhindrabahal Chaitya complex in Bungamati, has also been returned. Additionally, a stone Mucalinda Buddha statue from Guit Chaitya in Guit Tole of Patan, dating back to the 12th-13th century-was repatriated from the Art Institute of Chicago. The remaining 16 artifacts, dating from the 9th to 19th centuries, were also stolen from various locations in Nepal and smuggled to the US.
96 stolen archaeological treasures repatriated to Nepal after d...
At the event, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, declared, "We have the ability to recognize the significance of Nepali heritage and bring it back, no matter where it reaches. Now, no one will dare to steal artifacts from Nepal."
He welcomed the return of lost artifacts and questioned how such valuable heritage had been stolen away in the past. "The time for wrongdoing is over, and theft is no longer possible," he asserted. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to restoring stolen artifacts and assured that financial concerns would not hinder the process. "Local governments are fully capable of preserving their faith," he said. "We are committed to returning sacred heritage to its rightful places."
Various individuals and organizations have successfully repatriated 177 archaeological and artistic artifacts from countries including the United Kingdom, Austria, the United States, China (Tibet), India, Germany, Australia, and Italy. Ongoing diplomatic efforts aim to retrieve more artifacts from the US., France, the U.K., China, Austria, and Australia.
The United States alone has returned 104 archaeological artifacts to Nepal.