By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Feb. 22: Metropolitan Police Circle of Kalimati and Metropolitan Police Range of Lalitpur handed over archaeologically and historically important idols of several gods and goddessee to the Department of Archaeology (DoA) on Friday to keep them safely at the National Museum of Chhauni.
The Metropolitan Police Range of Lalitpur handed 41 sets of idols of several gods and goddess to the DoA.

In total, 41 sets of wooden idols and 27 sets of metal idols were handed over to the DoA. The stolen and abandoned idols collected from several parts of the country on different dates and kept safely inside the office of the Police Circle were handed over to the DoA, according to the Metropolitan Police Range.

Metropolitan Police Circle of Kalimati also handed over many archaeologically and historically important idols of several gods and goddesses to the DoA on the same day.
The Metropolitan Police Circle handed an idol each of Krishna, Saraswati, Narayan, two of Buddha and one of Devi after completing investigation. The stolen and found idols were collected from different places on different dates and kept at the police circle were handed over to the DoA.

Other 16 idols of several gods and goddesses collected by Metropolitan Police Circle of Bouddha, Thankot, Kalimati and Maharajgunj are kept at the district court of Kathmandu as cases relating to them have not been concluded yet. They will also be handed over to the DoA after finalising their cases, according to the Metropolitan Police Circle of Kalimati.
Sarita Neupane, archaeological officer at the DoA, said that the Metropolitan Police Circle had called them to collect the idols and other objects. “We went to the Circle, received the objects and have now stored them at the National Museum of Chhauni.”

Currently, the process of identifying the ages of the idols as well as the time when they were built is in progress, and a team of archaeologists of the museum will complete these tasks, she said.
Jansewa Police of Kathmandu had handed over 14 idols of several god and goddess on January 21, 2022 to the DoA. The Metropolitan Police Circle of Bhaktapur handed over 24 idols of several gods and goddesses to the DoA, along with a silver plate on February 14.