KATHMANDU, Nov 23: A sacred wooden toran—a carved ceremonial arch placed above traditional windows and doorways—stolen more than two decades ago from the historic Kumari House in Kathmandu has been restored to its original place.
The Kumari House, known locally as Kumari Bahal, is the residence of the Living Goddess and remains one of Basantapur’s most significant heritage structures.
The toran, which had disappeared around 1999, was later discovered in a private gallery in the United Kingdom and formally handed back to Nepal through diplomatic efforts.
After its repatriation, it was kept at the National Museum in Chhauni until Kathmandu Metropolitan City decided earlier this month—under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol—to restore it to its original location.
Gold Jalhari reinstalled at Pashupatinath Temple
Deputy Mayor Dangol, along with Ashaman Sangat, Coordinator of the Heritage and Tourism Committee, Ward 23 Chair Macharaja Maharjan, and Gautam Shakya, the traditional caretaker of the Kumari House, visited the National Museum to formally receive the toran.
The officials signed and stamped the transfer documents before bringing the artifact back to Basantapur, where locals and heritage conservation groups joined in celebrating its return.
The restored toran is a semi-circular wooden carving featuring a chhepu design—an auspicious protective figure in Newa woodcraft. Believed to have been created between the 17th and 18th centuries, it measures 104.55 centimetres and originally sat above the fifth window from the left on the ground floor of the Kumari House.
Caretaker Gautam Shakya recalled that all three torans of the building were stolen within a span of three months in the late 1990s. The thieves reportedly removed the wooden pieces in the evening and loaded them into a taxi.
When questioned by locals, they claimed the carvings were being taken for repairs. After the thefts were reported to the Department of Archaeology and the Nepal Police, replica torans were installed about three years later at a cost of around Rs 80,000 each.
The reinstatement follows Nepal’s cultural repatriation procedures under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act and aligns with international standards such as the UNESCO convention against illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.
Following the restoration, Deputy Mayor Dangol said the event marked the beginning of a renewed and stronger effort to recover other lost artefacts and sacred objects taken from Nepal.
Heritage Committee Coordinator Sangat called it a moment of collective pride, while Ward Chair Maharjan said such reinstatements contribute significantly to reviving the historical character of the neighbourhood.
