An idol of Goddess Durga with high archaeological importance is being returned to Nepal from the USA – 60 years after the statue was taken to the United States. The statue is believed to be from the 14th to 18th century and was lost from Kathmandu in the year 1960.
The statue was found being auctioned in a private house in March 2022. It was priced at around USD 12,000.
A special ceremony was held at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office where the 13.25-inch statue was handed over by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. to Acting Consul General Vishnu Gautam of the New York-based Consulate General of Nepal.
The Consulate General, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Archeology of Nepal jointly worked in the statue’s recovery.
