Editorial photo #13649170 Religion and Belief
Repatriated Historic Buddha Statue Returns To Original Shrine On 2570th Buddha Jayanti In Nepal
Scott Urbom, the senior United States career diplomat serving as acting head of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, and officials carry the historic stone Buddha statue known as Kwapa Dyah from Hanuman Dhoka Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, back to its original shrine at Nhuchhe Baha (Bajradhatu Vihar) in Jor Ganesh, Ombahal, on May 1, 2026, on the occasion of the 2570th Buddha Jayanti. The archaeologically and religiously significant sculpture, identified as a Vajradhatu Buddha, had been stolen in the past and later surfaced at the Tibet House Collection in New York, United States. It was repatriated to Nepal around four years ago and kept at the Chhauni National Museum through coordinated efforts of the Department of Archaeology, heritage activists, and related institutions. Following legal procedures under the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 (Section 20A), the statue has now been formally returned to its original guthi custodians, marking a step in the recovery of cultural heritage and reinforcing community-based conservation practices. (Photo by Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto)
