February 16, 2024 08:36 am | Updated 08:36 am ISTAn unknown number of sacred statues of Hindu deities were stolen from Nepal and smuggled abroad in the past. Now dozens are being repatriated to the Himalayan nation, part of a growing global effort to return such items to countries in Asia, Africa and elsewhere. Last month, four idols and masks of Hindu gods were returned to Nepal from the U.S. by museums and a private collector. Among them was a 16th-century statue of Uma-Maheswara, an avatar of the gods Shiva and Parvati, that was stolen four decades ago. The majority of Nepal’s 29 million people are Hindu, and every neighbourhood has a temple that houses such items.

Source: The Hindu February 16, 2024 17:25 UTC