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Nepal celebrates return of stolen 13th-century Buddha statue from New York
TL;DR
Nepal has celebrated the return of a 13th-century Buddha statue stolen from a temple, reinstalling it in Kathmandu during a ceremony attended by a U.S. envoy. The event coincided with the Buddha Jayanti festival, marking a significant cultural restoration.
Key points
- Buddha statue returned to Nepal from New York
- Statue dates back to the 13th century
- Ceremony attended by a U.S. envoy
- Reinstallation coincided with Buddha Jayanti festival
- Community expressed joy over the statue's return
Mentioned in this story
NepalKathmanduUnited States
Buddha statue
A centuries-old Buddha statue stolen from a Nepali temple has been reinstalled in its original location, one of several artefacts returned from foreign museums and collectors in recent years.
The statue, dating to the 13th century, was carried in a palanquin back to its pagoda-style temple in the capital, Kathmandu, to the sound of traditional music on Friday.
“I feel so happy, we all do. Our god is coming back,” temple-goer Sunkesari Shakya, 67, told the AFP news agency, recalling the day the statue was stolen, wreaking “havoc” in the community.
In a ceremony attended by a visiting United States envoy, the statue, which returned from New York in 2022, was placed back on its original stone plinth. The event coincided with the festival of Buddha Jayanti, marking the birth of the founder of Buddhism.
Devotees carry a sculpture of the Buddha to be reinstalled at a temple in Kathmandu [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
A replica that locals had been worshipping instead was moved to another area of the temple.
The statue was taken from the temple in the 1980s and later emerged at Tibet House US, a cultural centre in New York, where it was gifted by an unknown monk, according to Nepal’s Department of Archaeology.
Sergio Gor, Washington’s special envoy to South and Central Asia, told AFP, “One of the things we are focusing on is to be able to bring back some of these incredible artefacts that decades past got into the wrong hands.”
“We are trying to right a wrong from the past,” said Gor, who was on a three-day visit to Nepal.
Devotees carry a sculpture of the Buddha to be reinstalled at a temple in Kathmandu [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
Many in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people are deeply religious, and the country’s Hindu and Buddhist temples, as well as heritage sites, are an integral part of everyday life.
But many sites are bereft of centuries-old sculptures, paintings, ornamental windows and even doors, which were often stolen after the country opened up to the outside world in the 1950s.
Q&A
What is the significance of the 13th-century Buddha statue returned to Nepal?
The statue's return symbolizes cultural restoration and healing for the community affected by its theft.
When was the Buddha statue stolen and when did it return to Nepal?
The statue was stolen years ago and returned to Nepal in 2022.
What festival coincided with the reinstallation of the Buddha statue in Kathmandu?
The reinstallation coincided with the Buddha Jayanti festival, which celebrates the birth of the founder of Buddhism.
