Ancient Sculptures Reflect Ancestral Craftsmanship, Should Be Placed in Their Original Sites, Not Locked in Museums: Sunita Dangol

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has prioritized efforts to repatriate ancient sculptures stolen in the past and taken abroad, as well as to return artifacts kept in museums to their original locations.

On the occasion of World Heritage Day today, a 13th-century stone sculpture depicting Mahagauri and Parvati in a dancing posture, which had been kept at the National Museum in Chhauni, was reinstalled at its original site in the courtyard of Suryamukhi Mahadev Temple in Maru, Ward No. 20.

Acting Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Sunita Dangol, Heritage and Tourism Committee Coordinator Ashaman Sangat, Ward No. 20 Chair Rajendra Manandhar, heritage activists Ganpatilal Shrestha and advocate Sanjay Adhikari brought the sculpture from the Juddha Ethnological Gallery of the museum.

The handover was carried out in the presence of Museum Chief Arun Nakarmi, Chief of Hanuman Dhoka Conservation Office Kajiman Pyakurel, National Museum Officer Subas Krishna Dangol, and Department of Archaeology Officer Amrita Maharjan. Museum storekeeper Binda Shrestha and assistant guide Ushakumari Singh handed over the sculpture. The statue measures 68.5 cm in height and 30.5 cm in width.

Dangol stated that instead of organizing formal programs to mark Heritage Day, the focus was on restoring cultural, religious, and social values by reinstalling the sculpture under community responsibility.

“Kathmandu is an open museum. It is not just about art and craftsmanship; it symbolically carries knowledge, science, and life lessons. Such important artifacts should remain within society. We decided to reinstall it to ensure a safe environment within the community,” she said.

Ashaman Sangat noted that this effort adds another brick to the prestige and identity of Kathmandu. “Preserving Kathmandu’s identity is one of our key responsibilities, and we are committed to it,” he said.

Ward Chair Rajendra Manandhar assured that the local community is committed to the protection and preservation of the sculpture.

The statue, which had been stolen and taken to London, was returned through the Embassy of Nepal in the UK and later sent by the Department of Archaeology to the National Museum for safekeeping on Chaitra 29, 2052 BS.

Earlier, on Baisakh 2, 2083 BS, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Acting Mayor with officials, locals, and heritage activists to discuss the conservation and management of heritage sites in the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar area.