Stolen Idol from Tirunelveli brought back to India from Australia

MADURAI

: In a major turn of events, the idol wing CID police led by special officer A G Pon Manickavel

brought

back a 700-year-old Nataraja idol, which was stolen from Tirunelveli temple 37 years ago, to India from an Australian art gallery.


The idol, which was received by idol wing police from art gallery officials in Delhi on Wednesday, would be taken to Tamil Nadu by train. The idol is estimated to be Rs 30 crore in international market and is expected to reach Chennai on Friday.

The idol wing managed to bring it back despite no support from the state government. The government did not come forward to help with the flight ticket to bring the idol back to India despite asking for the same. However, the help came from the officials of Art Gallery of South

Australia

(AGSA) in Adelaide, where the idol was kept on display for the past 19 years.

The Natarajar idol was stolen from Kulasekaramudaiyar Aram Valartha Nayagi Amman temple in Kallidaikurichi in Tirunelveli district in June 1982 along with Sivakami Amman idol, Manikavasagar idol and Thiruvalli Vinayaka idol. The temple was built by Pandian king Kulasekarapandian around 700 years ago. While Kallidaikurichi police registered a case, it was closed in 1984 as the theft could not be cracked.

The idol wing police, which took over the case recently, started collecting archeological evidence. The wing managed to collect the photo of the stolen idol taken away in 1958. The details collected by the team confirmed that the one displayed at the museum originally belongs to Tirunelveli temple, and was supported by expert opinion from archeologist R Nagaswamy. The details were sent to museum authorities to convince them through Indian high commission for Australia.

AGSA registrar Jane Robinson and curator Jane Bennet handed over the idol to officials in Delhi. The idol will be produced before

Kumbakonam

court and ultimately handed over to the temple authorities. The police said that Usha Sharma, Sathya Bama, Taljith Singh and Nambirajan, all from archeological survey of India, extended help in bringing back the idol. India high commissioner for Australia A M Gondane and his deputy Karthikeyan, a native of Namakkal played crucial role, the police said.


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