CHENNAI: Investigation into a stolen idol has led Tamil Nadu officials to three more idols stolen from a temple in Kumbakonam about 60 years ago. The idol wing has traced the idols to museums and auction houses in the United States.
In February, the idol of Thirumangai Alwar at Soundararajaperumal Temple was found to be fake and the original was traced to Ashmolean Museum in London. Over the past seven months, investigation officer Deputy Superintendent of Police P Chandrasekaran, who conducted field visits at the temple, suspected that the other idols in the temple could also be fake, and officers started checking them for their genuineness.
“With the help of pictures at the Indo-French Institute in Puducherry, we found that the three idols were replaced with fake ones,” said K Jayanth Murali, DGP, Idol Wing. When we compared the pictures with the idols at the temple, the statues of Kalinganarthana Krishna, Vishnu and Sridevi looked different, the officer said, and added, “They were replicas and experts have confirmed that they were fake.”
Authorities have now traced the Kalinganarthana Krishna idol to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Vishnu idol to the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas, and the Sridevi idol to the Hills Auction Gallery in Florida.
Kalinganarthana Krishna
Height: 26 inches (approx)
Year: 1400-1500
Material: Bronze image
Location: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, USA
Vishnu
Height: 33 ½ inches
Year: 13th century
Material: Bronze image
Location: Kimbell Art Museum, Texas, USA
Sridevi
Height: Unknown, Year: 13th century, Material: Bronze Image, Location: Hills Auction Gallery, Florida, USA