The Library of Indian and Central Asian Studies holds a statue depicting the birth of the Buddha, donated in 1929 by the Mahârâja and Prime Minister of Nepal Chandra Jang Bahadur Shumsher. Made of gilded bronze, inlaid with semi-precious stones and colored glass, it depicts the Buddha's mother, Mâyâ, in the shade of a tree, giving birth from the side. This is a symbolic representation of the event, intended to underline the extraordinary nature of this birth. Recently restored, the statue is now on display in the Pôle mondes asiatiques reading room .
