Dozens of sacred statues of Hindu deities, stolen and smuggled abroad in the past, are now being repatriated to Nepal, reflecting a global effort to return such items. Recently, four idols and masks of Hindu gods, including a 16th-century statue of Uma-Maheswora, were returned from the United States. The Uma-Maheswora statue, stolen four decades ago, mysteriously ended up at the Brooklyn Museum in New York and was handed over to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Its return was celebrated by devotees in Patan, with crowded alleys, offerings, and traditional music and prayers. Ram Maya Benjankar, who waited years for its return, expressed her extreme happiness.
The majority of Nepal’s population being Hindu, every neighborhood has temples housing such items, often without much security, making them vulnerable to theft. While these idols hold religious significance for Nepalese, they have high monetary value abroad, driving theft and smuggling. In the past, little attention was given to such thefts, but recent years have seen increased efforts by the government, art lovers, and campaigners to recover stolen heritage items, with many successful cases.
A group representing the Newar community in the U.S. took the initiative to bring back the Uma-Maheswora statue upon learning about its reappearance at the Brooklyn Museum. Now, preparations are underway to reinstate the statue in a temple in Patan, where it was warmly welcomed before being placed in a museum for security. More than 20 other stolen artifacts are set to be repatriated to Nepal soon, with most coming from the United States and Europe.
Jayaram Shrestha, director at the National Museum in Kathmandu, has built a special room to exhibit repatriated items, ensuring they are accessible to the public. With growing awareness among Nepalis at home and abroad, it has become easier to track stolen artifacts online and advocate for their return. Collectors and museums are increasingly recognizing the importance of returning such items to their places of origin.
The Nepal government, through recovery campaigns and diplomatic channels, is actively pursuing the return of these artifacts and ensuring their security. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud emphasized the need to reinstate these thousands-of-years-old artifacts to their original places and ensure their safety.
