The Museum of Stolen Arts is also an integral element of the Mission Panauti project, which is planned to be inaugurated in 2026. The museum aims to preserve the traditional arts and monuments of Nepal by raising awareness regarding lost and stolen art of Nepal. As an initial step, the museum will be displaying the replicas of 50 different stolen stone images of Nepal. Such images either become decoration pieces for private houses in foreign nations or display pieces of museums in foreign lands. Many Nepalese are unaware of this sad trend of Nepalese arts trafficking. Others, even if aware of this, choose to remain silent and carefree. Thus, this museum has been envisioned to create social, ethical, and administrative pressure on all national and international authorities to end this ill trend of losing one’s heritage. Moreover, the museum will also prove to be an aid to introducing the legacy of the rich cultural heritage of Nepal. At present, out of the first 50 replicas of stolen images to be displayed in the Museum, 47 have been completed and are currently on display in Heritage Gallery, Bhaktapur until the museum is completed. From 2026 AD, all of these will be on continual display in the museum.
All of the artworks for the museum have been made under the leadership of a renowned stone artist Mr. Timir Nashan Ojha with his team of 11 Nepalese and Indian stone carvers.
