The stolen Nepalese state has returned to its temple after spending decades in the United States Art and Culture News

A sculpture of two centuries-old Hindu gods has been re-installed in Kathmandu, almost 40 years after it was stolen.

A centuries-old sculpture of two Hindu gods has been re-installed in his temple in the Kathmandu capital of Nepal, stolen in the United States and almost 40 years old.

The stone statue of the gods Laxmi and Narayan was repatriated to Nepal in March by the Dallas Museum of Art and the FBI after months of investigation by activists and officials in Nepal and the United States.

He was taken from the temple in 1984 and six years later appeared in the Dallas Museum, where he was donated by a collector.

Work, XII and XV. It is one of the few cultural works to be returned to Nepal from foreign museums and collectors this year.

A priest prayed and the locals played traditional music on Saturday to return the statue on a lever to the pagoda-style temple, which was adorned with marigold garlands to welcome the work.

It was placed back in its original stone plinth with a replica that the locals worshiped, rather than placed next to it.

“We are very happy. The three or four years of efforts have been fruitful, they are all celebrating, ”said Dilendra Raj Shrestha of the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign.

“Deep Cultural and Spiritual Significance”

Laser sensors and CCTV cameras have been installed to protect the statue in the temple, he added.

“We are seeing the beginning of a trend for the gods of Nepal to return from the United States, from Europe, from other countries that are now over,” said US Ambassador Randy Berry to Nepal.

“I hope it’s the first of many celebrations like this.”

Nepal is very religious and its Hindu and Buddhist temples, as well as heritage sites, have been a part of people’s daily lives.

“For many, art can be a profound cultural and spiritual significance for Nepali generations,” said Ramyata Limbu of Al Jazeera, reporting on the Patan ceremony.

In many places, centuries-old sculptures, paintings, decorative windows, and even doors were often stolen after the country was opened to the outside world in the 1950s.

Many of the pieces were taken with the help of corrupt officials to feed the art markets in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere.

“I think there is a global change.

A tweet by Thompson questioning the origin and history of the state prompted the study of the sculpture.

Six pieces have been returned to Nepal this year and authorities are looking for more from France, the US and the UK.