By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 7: Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, ambassador of Nepal to the United States of America, received the statue of Vasudeva-Kamalaja, also known as Laxmi-Narayan, from Timothy Dunham, deputy assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), amidst a ceremony organised at the Nepali embassy in Washington DC on Friday.
The idol was originally worshipped at a temple in Patko, Lalitpur and had been on display at the Dallas Museum of Arts since 1990.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Khatiwada expressed sincere appreciation and gratitude to the American government for its cooperation in providing the antique statue back to Nepal. He remarked that such substantial acts of collaboration between the two countries in the preservation of cultural heritages would contribute to deepening the multifaceted and enduring relations between Nepal and the United States.
Khatiwada thanked everyone involved, particularly the US Department of State, the US Embassy in Kathmandu, the Dallas Museum of Arts and the FBI. He also hoped for similar cooperation in recovering and reinstating other lost heritages of Nepal.
Ervin Massinga, principal deputy assistant secretary at the US Department of State, mentioned that the US would continue to cooperate with Nepal in the preservation and protection of its cultural heritage. Dunham expressed that both Nepal and the US recognised the value of protecting such objects and would work in partnership to return the valuable pieces home.
In a press statement, the Embassy has stated that the idol will be transported to Nepal before long.