Since the 1980s, Nepali authorities have estimated more than ten thousand artifacts have been stolen from the country. The religious carvings are circulated worldwide and have become a debate of international tug-of-war.
Two months ago, the Art Institute of Chicago returned an 800-year-old stone sculpture following the harsh criticisms. The incident raised a question about the museum and its relationship with the international smugglers.
Recently, in a photo gallery of exhibitions related to the art of South Asia, the gilt-copper necklace stolen from Kathmandu’s Taleju Temple was appealing. It is believed that thieves stole the artifact nearly 45 years ago from Nepal.
After seeing social media posts that surfaced the images of artifacts, the priest of the Taleju temple got surprised. The pictures of “Taleju Necklace” were shared on Twitter by Shwetajyanu Bania, an expert on art and literature in the United States.
Besides the necklace, there were other antiquities of Hindu, Buddhist gods, and goddesses – probably from Nepal. So it’s surprising to know that despite the Taleju Bhawani temple opens once a year, how does the international racket manage to bootleg it all the way to America – without getting caught.
Similarly, in France, an auction was organized by Bonhams named Art Bouddhiste et Hindou de l’Himalaya in Bonhams, Paris, from 1-10 June through Himalayan Art Online. Several Nepali antiquities, including Mahalaxmi, Chamunda, Bhairav, were on the bid list. The incident was first reported by Lost Arts of Nepal, a Facebook page of youth initiatives.
The smuggled Gods are also seen in Australia. The 800-year-old carved goddess of Kathmandu is now seen in the Art Gallery of NSW. As reported by scholars from Nepal, this carving belongs to the Sulima temple of Patan Durban Square. Despite 20 years-long talks, the Australian government has not shown much interest to return it home.
Conferring to ABC News, “An AGNSW spokesperson said repatriation talks had lately ground to a halt as Nepal grappled with a growing COVID-19 emergency.” As the Nepal government has also not shown much interest, it is less likely to start the talks sooner.
Return of Artifacts
On the contrary, three months ago, the Dallas Museum of Art returned the stone sculpture of Laxmi-Narayan, which was stolen 40 years ago. The homecoming of the deity was made possible when F.B.I. investigated the issue. As reported by the New York Times, the sacred stele of Lakshmi-Narayana, a manifestation of the Hindu deities Vishnu and Lakshmi, watched over devotees for more than eight centuries in the Nepalese city of Patan until it suddenly disappeared.
Three years ago, an investigative video was posted by Aljazeera entitled “Nepal: The Great Plunder,” the host Steve Chow investigates how the antiquities are theft from sacred places and sold into ‘Thamel’ – market of Kathmandu. Also, the host explores that smugglers are contacted through the vendors of Thamel, and the packages are sent through various routes.
Steve Chow, the host of Aljazeera 101 East, helped to return the stolen artifacts from various countries through this video. In addition, he handed the smugglers operating in the country to Nepal Police.
The series of loot began when Nepal welcomed hippies in the 1960s. During that time, tourists could roam free all over Nepal without any restrictions. This was the first time when Nepal allowed everyone to reach rural places. But, sadly, it promoted cultural influence as well as cultural theft.
At last, the only way to halt the trade of sacred architects is to stop the demand in the international market. Strict international laws by the governments should be implemented to discourage exhibitions. According to the international agreement, the pieces should belong to the country of origin. The international trade of artifacts is a serious crime, so everyone should stop doing this.
