Stolen Nepali statues returned from America in New York ceremony

Kathmandu – Two invaluable statues stolen from Nepal and taken to America have been returned to Nepal. At a special handover ceremony held at the Nepali Consulate General in New York today, the New York District Attorney’s Office formally transferred the ownership of the Padmapani and Nrityadevi statues to the government.

At the ceremony, Nepali Consul General Dadhiram Bhandari and Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, head of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, signed the handover agreement.

According to a statement issued by the Consulate General, the 13th-century bronze statue of Padmapani is considered a unique artwork from Thambahil (Vikramshila Mahavihar, Bhagwanbahal) in Kathmandu. The last recorded photograph of the statue was taken in 1971, and it is believed to have been illegally taken to America sometime between 1971 and 1977.

Similarly, the 16th-century wooden statue of Nrityadevi is regarded as an excellent example of woodcraft from Ibahabahi in Lalitpur. It is estimated that this statue was stolen and taken to America between 1969 and 1983. It was later recovered from the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Both artifacts were located and returned to Nepal by the New York District Attorney’s Office in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other partner organizations.

On this occasion, Consul General Bhandari expressed gratitude on behalf of the government and the people to the U.S. government, the New York District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, researchers, museums, heritage conservation activists, and community members. He stated that the joint efforts of all parties made it possible to locate these invaluable cultural treasures and restore their ownership to Nepal.

He further remarked that the growing cooperation between Nepal and America in controlling the illegal trafficking of cultural heritage is an excellent example of international partnership and a symbol of shared commitment to cultural heritage preservation.

He also thanked the Nepali community and community organizations in America, especially the Newa Guthi New York, for their contribution to the preservation and promotion of Nepal’s cultural heritage.

After the handover, it was announced that both artifacts will be sent to Nepal on June 25. The transportation and management will be coordinated by the Nepali Consulate General and the Newa Guthi New York, with representatives from the Guthi accompanying the artifacts to Nepal.

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, the artifacts will be handed over to the Department of Archaeology and other relevant government bodies.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the New York District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, Newa Guthi, the Metropolitan Museum, academics, members of the Nepali community, heritage conservationists, and journalists.