VELLORE: A three-feet tall Mariamman idol purportedly made of Panchaloha was found missing from Mariamman temple at V.T.K. Nagar in Katpadi of Vellore district early Friday morning.
C Manavalan, a former member of the temple committee, told Express, "Weighing over 105 kg, the idol was installed at the temple around 20 years ago. The idol stolen from the temple was made of Panchalohas. Locals made donations in the form of gold, silver, copper, brass, and bronze to make the Panchaloha idol. Though the value of donations contributed by the locals is not known, we spent around Rs 1.5 for making the idol alone."
Located on Katpadi to Vellimalai road, the Mariamman temple has two idols including a stone idol. The main deity is Mariamman, the former committee member said.
Police source said that the temple always remains open, and does not have a priest. Locals visit the temple and offer prayers on their own. A local woman takes care of the maintenance.
A local, who visited the temple to offer prayers, found the idol missing in the sanctum on Friday around 6.00 am. On information, the police reached the spot and conducted inquiries.
A police officer investigating the case said that a probe has been initiated to establish the veracity of the claims made by the temple committee. If the idol is found to be made of Panchaloha, it would be valued in crores.
Of the two idols, the stone idol is intact and not stolen. The stolen idol was made in Walajah of Vellore district around 20 years ago, Manavalan said.
Further investigations are on.