Art Institute of Chicago: When will you return our Goddess’ Necklace?

Today is Nawami Day, the ninth day of the Dashain festival in Nepal, and the day when the doors of Taleju Bhawani temple are open for visitors and worshippers. This is the second Dashain when we desperately waited for the Art Institute of Chicago to return the necklace of Taleju Bhawani necklace and yet, the museum keeps it open on display as its own when it doesn’t belong to it. There has been so much outcry and so many demands, letters, public advocacy, greater journalism pieces and articles, and whatnot… yet for a powerful institution like the Art Institute of Chicago, it doesn’t matter. They are not accountable and they are not respectful towards the larger community in Nepal where people are waiting for the arrival of Taleju Bhawani’s necklace. The more I write and talk about this necklace, everyone I have spoken to (non-Nepalis) has said that the necklace shouldn’t be here and should be sent back to where it belongs – to the Taleju Bhawani who was gifted this necklace. This necklace is not just a piece of exotic art but it was a piece that was worshipped for many years until its disappearance. Many onlookers might not know why it is so important to the Nepali community but this piece is a part of our Goddess and we would like it back and we would like to worship it. Art Institute of Chicago is not allowing this to happen because we have to prove the provenance, we have to prove that it was lost, we have to do all the paperwork, etc. But when there was no paperwork that existed from where we will ever prove that is ours is ours? This is just too ridiculous!

But Goddess will find her way home! When she wants it no one can stop and the pathway will be created. I hope the Art Institute of Chicago realizes that what they are doing is colonial and it is not okay! I will continue to advocate for this and so will many other Nepalis. Hopefully, next Dashain we will take the Goddess Home.

Now it is two years that I stood up next to the necklace and asked for the return of the necklace. But the Art Institute of Chicago is not listening!

We are hopeful and counting the days for Goddesses’ return to Nepal. It will happen. It should happen.

Return Taleju Bhawani’s Necklace to Nepal

Nepali version of this article was published in Kantipur Daily on June 13, 2021. This article was written on June 12, 2021

Taleju Bhawani’s Necklace on Display at the Art Institute of Chicago. Pic: Dr. Abhilasha Shresthat. 12.10.2021

At the moment, it is 10:30 PM in Chicago. I have just returned back to my hotel after watching a baseball game. I am tired but I can’t sleep. I am in shock and surprise and my heart is just going back to the Art Institute in Chicago where I found something stolen from my country, from my Goddess – openly displayed in pride to thousands of visitors. I found Taleju Bhawani’s necklace supposedly gifted by King Pratapmalla (r 1641-74) somewhere around the 17th century here in Chicago. This necklace which belongs to my Goddess Taleju Bhawani, which was supposed to be in Nepal– was here – in Chicago-in an open display to thousands of visitors who have no idea of the religious and spiritual value to me and many other folks like me.

Yesterday, after coming to Chicago after a two hours drive, we went directly to the Art Institute of Chicago. We had planned specifically to come here and specifically to see Taleju Bhawani’s lost/stolen necklace. As I entered the “Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan Art” section which was titled “Alsdrof Galleries”- my heart started throbbing and I started to tremble. Many tourists who were visiting were taking selfies with our Gods openly displayed. As I entered, a big statue of Lord Gautam Buddha was there, staying silent as the visitors took selfies. As I roamed around, my memories went back to Kathmandu~ my hometown ~ the city of temples ~where every street has Gods and Goddesses and temples. But this was not a temple, there was no holiness about this space, it was a museum and not a sacred space where our Gods and Goddesses reside and/or are kept with the highest belief and value.

I wanted to see the necklace. I found the necklace carefully curated inside a glass box. When I first took a glance at the necklace, I started to cry, my body started to tremble, and I was overpowered with emotions. I joined my hands together and kept on bowing down to my dearest Goddess Taleju Bhawani crying. I couldn’t see her necklace being displayed like this and started to bow down and pray. I don’t know if I was supposed to do this while there were a lot of onlookers but I couldn’t help myself. She is the Goddess of our Kathmandu valley. The marks of century-long vermillion powder were still there, signifying that this piece was worshipped as a part of Taleju Bhawani and probably worn by the Goddess herself or as noted in the description also by the then King Pratapmalla. There was a strange piece of information: “the gift of Alsdrof foundation” which made me google the foundation which doesn’t yield substantial information. How did they find this? From whom did they purchase this? Why did they decide to donate? How long did they keep this necklace hidden and why? All those questions came to my mind.

The major question in my mind however was still: Why is Taleju Bhawani’s necklace here? What is this necklace doing here? How did this necklace end up here?

Taleju Bhawani Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. Pic: Dr. Abhilasha Shrestha

While being overwhelmed with emotions, anger, confusion, I contemplated the Temple of Taleju Bhawani (picture above) which opens only once a year for the public. Every year on the day of Navami, I would go to Taleju Bhawani mandir to worship her, to feel her power, and to get a transcendental experience. However, one can never see the idol of the Goddess (at least I never saw one). I was told that only the essence of the Goddess is brought on display in the form of a Kalash. Taleju Bhawani herself resides at the Dashain Ghar which isn’t open to the public and she lives in the human form as the Kumari – the living Goddess of Nepal.

In my other interaction with respected Priest Uddhavman, I had asked him “since you are the major pujari, please tell me how does the Goddess looks, how is she like, what form is she in” and he had replied, “the Goddess is a Bindu, a point and here I give you this point in the form of tika from my hands that have touched the Goddess.” This sentence has never left my life. Though Pujari Ji might not remember my name, he changed my perception of religion that day. The Goddess is within me always, all the time. Hence, since then I have always felt a spiritual connection with the Goddess but this sentence reaffirmed it.

Yesterday, to see the necklace of the Goddess, her property, her gift – stolen, ripped off from her, sold, and then “gifted” to a museum and displayed to thousands of onlookers – broke my heart. I felt helpless as I remembered Uddhavman Pujari Ji’s words as I shed my tears. While my question was answered, I was seeing her necklace to be exposed and to be viewed by everyone who may not have a spiritual connection like I do, who may not have the same beliefs that I do, and who may or may not care that stolen pieces should never be in public display – and it should be returned.

Yesterday, Taleju Bhawani invited me to tell the world that her stolen piece is here. I, my phone, technology, the internet all of us in combination, we became a medium to communicate to many people back home that it is the time that the Art Institute in Chicago should return this piece.

Taleju Bhawani wants her stolen property, her gift, her necklace back. The Goddess wants to go back.

I appeal to the Art Institute of Chicago, to help our Goddess return her property home. Help return a stolen necklace to our Goddess.

Updated:

On December 10, 2021, I visited the Art Institute of Chicago Again and I found that even after raising our voice six months ago, the necklace was still there. It wasn’t a surprise but even with raising our voice against it, we were unheard. After my tweet, there was so much discussion about how it should be returned. Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had tweeted that they sent a request to the US Embassy and the concerned department. However, the necklace was still there. Hence, I would like to do another appeal of returning the necklace to Nepal.

Return Taleju Bhawani’s Necklace. Picture by Dr. Abhilasha Shrestha. 12/10/2021 at the Art Institute of Chicago