French museum returns looted head of Hindu god statue to Cambodia

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - A French museum has returned the head of a statue of a Hindu god that was taken from a Cambodian temple 130 years ago, the Culture Ministry said on Tuesday (Jan 19).

The head of the Harihara statue, a combined representation of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva, was returned by France's Guimet Museum on Saturday at the kingdom's request, according to Mr Thai Noraksathya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Culture. "The head and the body of the statue had been separated for 130 years," Mr Noraksathya told AFP.

"When the head is reattached to its body, it is like we are reconnecting the soul of our national heritage." He said the statue's head was removed from a temple in southern Takeo province during the French colonial period and shipped to Europe in 1886.

read more: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/french-museum-returns-looted-head-of-hindu-god-statue-to-cambodia

[sanukjim]

Knocking off and looting the heads of Buddha, Hindu and other religions statues was a common occurrence from India through all of Southeast Asia for centuries.observing all the headless statues in India,Burma,Thailand Cambodia,and Vietnam makes one wonder where all the other thousands of heads are.

[roquefort]

King Rama V had several Buddha heads shipped back to Thailand after visiting the amazing temple at Borobodur in Java. They are apparently in the National Museum in Bangkok.

I wonder why the Indonesians haven't asked for them back?