Kathmandu. Michael Harker, Chief of Public Affairs of the US Embassy, has inaugurated the Lumbini Museum Conservation Project.
The embassy has provided a grant of around three and a half million rupees to the Buddha Foundation through the Ambassador Cultural Conservation Fund (AFCP) to protect, record and preserve the priceless collection of ancient artefacts in the museum.
The grant will also establish a state-of-the-art conservation laboratory. The Embassy hopes that this will create a regional hub for archaeological conservation, the embassy said in a statement.
“The establishment of this conservation laboratory is a historic step for Lumbini which transforms this site into a regional center for archaeological research and conservation,” Rahkar said on the occasion.
“This project will not only protect irreplaceable artefacts, but also create opportunities for innovation and collaboration, and establish Nepal as a leader in the field of cultural heritage preservation,” he said.
Lumbini Museum, which has more than 300 artefacts from the sixth century BC to the third century AD, has a collection of clay statues, stone sculptures, coins and other relics excavated there.
This project will be a transformative step in the preservation of these cultural treasures. Due to the limitation of the conservation site, many of these artefacts are currently stored in the National Museum in Kathmandu,’ the embassy said.
It is hoped that this initiative will make possible the study, conservation and safe storage of artefacts in archaeological sites. The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) has been providing direct grant support for the preservation of cultural heritage in developing countries.
In the last two decades, the American Embassy has provided funds of more than 61 million rupees for 28 cultural heritage restoration projects in Nepal.
The Lumbini Museum, located at the birthplace of Buddha, is one of the most important cultural and religious places in the world, i.e. the preservation and display of ancient artefacts in Lumbini.
