Kathmandu, April 16

Data with National Museum at Chhauni shows that idols retrieved from various countries have not restored to their original places.

From the year 1996 to 2014, as many as 36 smuggled idols were brought back to the country and most of them were kept in the National Museum rather than restored to their original places.

According to the provision of the Department of Archaeology, the concerned guthi and community should come up with proofs like photographs of the idol or the remains of the stolen idols to restore them to their original places. The applicant also must take guarantee for the safety of the idol being restored to its original place.

Chief at the museum Jay Ram Shrestha said, “We have hardly seen any community or guthi laying claim to such idols and even if they lay claim they lack proof to take such idols. Without substantial evidence or proof we cannot hand over such idols to anyone,” said Shrestha, adding that the museum would not hesitate to return such idols if someone comes with proof.

Officials at the museum said that the museum was in possession of idols which were gifted by antique collectors, found during excavation of archaeological sites, and the ones which were retrieved after being stolen.

According to culture and heritage documentarian Alok Siddhi Tuladhar, lack of information among locals about the retrieved idols and the lengthy process they had to go through to restore such idols discourages locals from laying claim to these idols.

The museum is set to return the idol of Lord Buddha from Yetkha of Lalitpur, which was brought to the country from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The idol that is believed to be from the 11th to 12th century will be restored at its original place if the throne kept in the temple fits the idol.

The government has no record of the total number of idols and artefacts that were stolen and smuggled to foreign countries. However, officials at DoA claim that thousands of artefacts and idols had been smuggled to foreign countries, especially during the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

According to the ‘UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970’, any country that holds idols of archaeological value should return them if the state parties provide enough proofs.