Stolen Five Hundred-Year-Old Thangka from Mahavihar and Smuggled to America Returned to Nepal

Summary:
Three ancient artifacts, including a 575-year-old Thangka painting, stolen from the Itumbahal Thangka Mahavihar in Nepal in 1980 and smuggled to the USA, have been returned to Nepal. The artifacts were handed over by the National Museum to the Thangka Mahavihar Preservation Society in Itumbahal for restoration. The three pieces include:

• A 575-year-old Thangka depicting Gagansingh Bharoya and his wife
• A 300-year-old Chintamani Lokeshwar Thangka
• A 321-year-old Thangka featuring Keshchandra with Bhairav

These artworks were stolen on September 14, 1980 (Bhadra 29, 2037 BS) and later traced to Chicago. With coordination between Nepalese authorities and the Newah Guthi in the USA, they were repatriated and kept at the National Museum before being handed over for preservation.

The return ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh along with museum officials and society representatives. The Thangka paintings were traditionally displayed annually during the Gula festival for fifteen days until they were stolen. Their recovery marks the end of a two-decade effort to bring these cultural treasures back to Nepal.

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