Stolen Basuki image retrieved, restored

Kathmandu, Aug. 7: The stolen idol of Basuki Nagraja in Sankar Kirti Mahabihar, Bhagwan Bahal of Naxal Ward No. 1 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, was restored to its original place on Monday. The idol of Basuki Nagraja was stolen from the Bahal premises. 

“The 10th/11th-century idol was stolen some 40 years ago. But now, it has been restored. We are the happiest to hand over the idol to the concerned bodies,” said Jayram Shrestha, Chief of the National Museum (NA) of Chhauni. 

Shrestha further said that the statue was returned to Nepal from a private company, Marilynn B. Alsdorf Trust, of America on May 24, 2022. After keeping it at the NA for around two years, it was restored to its original site. 

People dressed in the traditional Newa attire, brought the idol from Chhauni Museum by playing traditional folk music and restored at the Mahabihar. 

The collection of repatriated artefacts has been increasing in the National Museum’s temporary exhibition hall thanks to the Department of Archaeology, government bodies and activists for their efforts to bring them back. 

To exhibit the artefacts, a temporary exhibition hall has been developed in the NA. 

The Chhauni Museum is the only museum in the country that safely houses the repatriated antiquities whose origins have not been ascertained. It has still 134 returned artefacts, which are yet to be restored in their origin places.

Of them, 58 antiquities have been kept in the exhibition room, and 65 in the store room of the NA building.

Only seven returned artefacts have been restored in its original places so far.  

Shrestha said that there was a problem in the restoration of the returned idols as there was no enthusiasm in the community or the concerned bodies to restore them to their original places. "There should be a sense of ownership in the concerned community in such artefacts," he shared. 

Some artefacts could not be restored in their original place because the original place where they were taken from is not known, he said. 

Like the statue of Basuki Nagraja, the statue of Umamaheshwar was restored at the Tangal Hiti of Lalitpur, the statue of Buddha stolen from Bhinche Bahal of Lalitpur, the Toran of Yampi Mahavihar, Gandharva stolen from Itumbahal, Salbhanjika Tundal stolen Itumbahal and Bajradhar stolen from Dolakha have already been restored to their original places, according to NA. 

At one part of the exhibition rooms of NA, there is an 11th-century statue of Shreedhar Vishnu – Vishnu flanked by his divine energy (Shakti) Goddess Laxmi and his mount Garuda. It was stolen from Bungamati’s Bahili Hiti in Kotatole, Lalitpur Metropolitan City–22, in the 1980s. 

It was already returned from the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, New York, America and is awaiting restoration.  

The Bahili Hiti, the stupa and the statue were all underground before 1960. Talking about the water conduit, local heritage lover Anil Tuladhar told The Rising Nepal that before the 60s, the only sign of the Hiti was in stories told by senior citizens. 

The small and large size of the Bhairav mask dating back to the 16th century was returned from Rubin Arts Museum and Dallas Museum of Arts of New York, America in January 2024. 

It is the private property of Nokchhe Pradhan Guthi located at Bhimeshwor Municipliaty-2, Dolakha. They were stolen from the place on March 6, 1994. The mask which was brought back to Nepal seven months ago is also waiting for restoration at its origin place.   

Similarly, four-faced Shivalinga of Pashupati, Panchadewal, the statues of Shreedhar Vishnu, Agastuarishi, Shiva of Kankeshwari Temple of Kathmandu, Umamaheshwar, the statue of Buddha of Bungamati, Machhindrabahal tole, goddess holding a lotus, Tara, dancing lady of Ibahabahi, head of Saraswoti of Pharping are awaiting placement in their origin places. 

“Many of the returned objects are brought here because the original places where they were taken from are not known,” Shrestha said. “They are also kept here for preservation and to ensure they are not stolen and trafficked again,” he added.

“Even when the original places of the relics have been identified, the museum cannot release them unless the concerned authorities formally demand them and place them where they belong to. They also have to take responsibility for their security once they are taken out of the museum,” Shrestha informed.

The returned objects, whose number started swelling, are on display at the temporary exhibition hall from February 13, 2024. Earlier, they were kept on display with other historical items at the museum, said Shrestha. 

Such objects will be kept here until the legal and social processes are completed before being restored to their place of origin.

The returned artefacts have been kept in a temporary exhibition hall to draw the attention of the visitors and the concerned trustees, he further said. "We have been operating a temporary exhibition hall after receiving a good response from the visitors even though it was opened for a short period.”