An Idol called Laxmi-Naryan that was stolen nearly 40 years ago has now been returned to Nepal and re-installed in its original place in Patan, Nepal.
The Idol was made of stone and depicted the Hindu gods Laxmi and Narayan. It is a centuries-old sculpture of the two Hindu gods that dates back to the 10th to 15th century and it was originally located in Patan, Nepal.
The statue had been worshipped for 800 years until it was stolen in 1984 and ended up at the Dallas Museum of Art in the United States, before being returned to Nepal 37 years later on 5 March 2021.
The idol restoration event was held in the presence of US Ambassador Randy Berry, US Embassy officials, culture experts, and noted personalities and witnessed by hundreds of locals.
It was stolen from a temple in Nepal in 1984 and re-emerged in the United States in the Dallas Museum on a display, which was on loan from a collector. This piece is famous for being one of the handfuls of cultural artifacts which has been returned to Nepal this year from some other country.
“The idol’s return was the result of a combined effort of the U.S. and Nepali governments, and the Dallas museum,” the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu said in a Facebook post. “Aside from bringing the idol back, we hope to inspire other countries and museums to look into the issue of stolen religious and cultural artifacts, and help reunite Nepali communities with their lost idols,” the embassy added.
On Sunday, it was re-installed in its original place- Patan. A local priest headed the proceedings. He chanted prayers while locals sang folk songs and played traditional music. The statue was draped in garlands made out of marigold by locals as they celebrated the return of their heritage value.
“Very proud we were able to help bring the Laxmi-Narayan home. Diplomacy is about people & connection,” the US ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry said in a tweet. “One of the things that connect us most is respect for one another’s culture. We hope more idols return, ” he added.
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