By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Apr. 3: The Consulate General of Nepal in New York received three lost Nepali antiquities from the New York County District Attorney’s Office on Friday.
Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, executive district attorney of New York County, handed over the antiquities to Acting Consul General Bishnu Prasad Gautam at a ceremony organised by the District Attorney’s Office on its premises.
The handed over antiquities include a statue of a seated Ganesha dated 15th to 16th century, a statue of Lord Buddha seated in the Bhumisparsha Mudra dated 14th to 15th century and a wooden beam depicting a coloured Apsara dated 13th century. Issuing a press release, the consulate informed that the artefacts would be sent to Nepal soon.
These artefacts were recovered by the Department of Homeland Security from an international network of smugglers. The district attorney’s office of New York managed to win the rigorous legal process of securing these articles and handing them over to Nepal. The investigation to determine the people involved in their illegal possession, exportation and sale is ongoing.
Receiving the historically and culturally significant items, Acting Consul General Gautam expressed deep gratitude to the United States Department of Homeland Security and the New York County District Attorney Office. He appreciated their dedication and collaboration for the recovery and returning of the Nepali relics. Gautam also thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal for their guidance and coordination in this process.
Executive District Attorney Illuzzi-Orbon said she was happy to have been able to recover and handover the lost antiquities back to Nepal.
On the occasion, the Consulate General honoured the US officials involved in the recovery process with ceremonial scaft.