Ancient Statue Of Hindu God Hanuman Returned To Cambodia


Ancient Statue Of Hindu God Hanuman Returned To Cambodia

A U.S. museum returned a 10th-century statue of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman to Cambodia on Tuesday, saying research suggested it had probably been taken from the gate of an ancient temple complex.

The Cleveland Museum of Art said it was voluntarily returning the stone figure with a human body and a monkey's head and tail, which it acquired in 1982 from an art dealer in New York who had since died.

Khmer ballet dancers threw flowers for good luck at the handover ceremony, attended by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and dozens of ministers in Phnom Penh. Officials hung flower garlands around the statue's neck.

“I am sure that if Hanuman were alive we would see a smile on his face showing his joy at being here among us where he belongs,” Sok An said after signing handover papers with Cleveland Museum of Art Director William Griswold.

The statue joins five others from the northern Koh Ker region recently returned to Cambodia from the United States.

The Cleveland museum said research had found the statue's head and body had been offered for sale in Thailand in 1968 and 1972. Experts said it had probably come from the east gate of the Prasat Chen temple complex.

News Source: https://ibnlive.in.com/news/us-museum-returns-hanuman-statue-to-cambodia/545330-79.html

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Deepak Kamboj

Deepak Kamboj

Deepak Kamboj started and conceptualized the powerful interactive platform - KambojSociety.com in September 2002, which today is the biggest and most popular online community portal for Kambojas in the world. He was inspired by the social and community work carried out by his father Shri Nanak Chand Kamboj. He has done research on the history, social aspects, political growth and economical situation of the Kamboj community. Deepak Kamboj is an author of various articles about the history of Kamboj community and people.