The treasure: Specifically, it consists of 465 extremely fragile palm-leaf scrolls—some dating from the 13th century, and thus representing the earliest surviving manuscript tradition in Nepal— as well as royal decrees, court records, Sanskrit manuscripts—one of which deals with the taming of wild elephants—and personal documents spanning several centuries of Nepalese history. A total of 815 documents. The diaries and travel journals of the Rana prime ministers and King Tribhuvan are also likely to be of particular interest, as they contain many previously unpublished letters, photos, and files.

It is presumably the largest collection of Nepalese palm-leaf scrolls outside of Nepal. The collector had originally collected stamps and coins; in certain collector circles, the narrow palm-leaf scrolls are considered as coveted as stamps. Their high cultural value is beyond question, as is the fact that this treasure should be returned to Nepal.

This treasure was discovered by the Indologist Axel Michaels (internal link), who also heads the project “Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal (internal link)” at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Eight years ago, this collection was placed in his office without his realizing what a cultural treasure it was. Now, after a veritable obstacle course of political and legal hurdles, the ancient written documents can finally be returned to Nepal. A small ceremony was recently held at the Institute for South Asian Studies (SAI) at Heidelberg University, attended by Sagar Phuyal from the Nepalese Embassy as a representative.

Press: "A Unique Treasure (external link)", in RNZ, April 28, 2026