The 13th-century Buddha statue was stolen from a Nepali temple in the 1980s and later found at New York's Tibet House cultural centre. The statue was returned to its original temple in Kathmandu, where it was placed back on its original stone plinth. This is one of several artefacts returned from foreign museums and collectors in recent years. The event coincided with the festival of Buddha Jayanti, marking the birth of the founder of Buddhism. About 200 artefacts have been returned to Nepal, including wood and stone carvings, paintings, scriptures and idols of gods and goddesses.