Toni Hagen first came to Nepal in the 1950s for his geological research on Nepal. In 1960, he published his book, ‘Nepal: The Kingdom of Himalayas’. On page number 157, he inserts a picture of a newly constructed, cemented house in Gachhen. He quotes, “Concrete buildings in bad taste have the effect of a blot on the landscape of the picturesque old squares of Bhaktapur”. These very words propelled Rabindra Puri to transform this ugly duckling into a beautiful traditional building. He then surprised Hagen with this no-more concrete building, by naming it after the man himself. The house was completed and inaugurated on August 19, 2009.
The ground floor of this house features ‘The Heritage Gallery’ where the pieces of the Museum of Stolen Art are on display until the completion of the museum’s construction, as well as other for-sale art pieces related to Nepali art. The replicas of stolen stone deities of Nepal are not for sale, and will be taken to the Museum of Stolen Art in Panauti once the building is completed.
