Nepal Celebrates Return of Stolen 13th-Century Buddha Statue from New York

A centuries-old Buddha statue has been reinstalled at its original temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. The statue, dating back to the 13th century, was returned to its pagoda-style temple after being stolen in the 1980s. The statue was carried in a palanquin and accompanied by traditional music during the ceremony.

The event took place on Friday, coinciding with the festival of Buddha Jayanti, which marks the birth of the founder of Buddhism. A replica that had been worshipped by locals instead was moved to another area of the temple. The statue’s return is part of a broader effort to recover stolen artefacts from foreign museums and collectors.

The statue was previously held at Tibet House US in New York, where it was gifted by an unknown monk. Sergio Gor, Washington’s special envoy to South and Central Asia, attended the ceremony and stated that one of his organization’s goals is to retrieve stolen artefacts that were removed from Nepal decades ago.

Nepal has a rich cultural heritage, with many Hindu and Buddhist temples and sites being an integral part of daily life. However, many of these sites have been affected by the theft of centuries-old sculptures, paintings, and other artefacts. According to the Department of Archaeology, over 200 artefacts have been returned to Nepal, including wood and stone carvings, paintings, scriptures, and idols.

Conservation expert Rabindra Puri emphasized that recovered statues are not just objects of art but also an important part of living heritage. Authorities are seeking to recover more artefacts from the US, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Source: Al Jazeera