NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu Government authorities on Wednesday took over the charge of 10 antique idols, including bronze deities of Lord Natraja and Shiva-Parvati dated around 10-16th century, repatriated from the United States of America (US) and Australia a few weeks ago, at a handover ceremony held by the ministry of culture in New Delhi.
These figurines were stolen from different temples in Tamil Nadu (TN) over the years and smuggled out of the country.
With the joint efforts of the ministries of culture and external affairs, 186 artefacts — mainly idols -- were brought back between October 2021 and March 2020 from the US, Australia and Canada. The objects given to the Tamil Nadu government were also part of the collection.
The antiquities handed over to TN government include sculptures of two stone statues of Dvarapala, Nataraja, Kankalamurti, Nadikeswara, Four-Armed Vishnu, Goddess Parvati, Siva & Parvati, Standing Child Sambandar, and Child Sambandar. The remaining eight articles are made of bronze.
Present on the occasion were union culture minister G Kishan Reddy, union ministers of state for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and Arjun Ram Meghwal along with minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan and officials of Tamil Nadu Government.
According to the ministry, Dvarapala sculptures dating to the 15-16th century belong to Vijaynagar dynasty, which was burgled from Moondreeswaramudayar Temple located in Tirunelveli district in 1994.
Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva in his divine cosmic dance form, is from the 11-12th century. It was stolen from the strong room of Punnainallur Arulmigu Mariyamman Temple in Thanjavur district.
Kankalamurti and Nadikeswara, dating to the 12-13th century, were taken away from Narsinganadhar Swamy Temple in Tirunelveli district in 1985. Four-Armed Vishnu and Goddess Parvati are from the 11-12th century and belong to the later Chola period.
They were stolen from Arulmigu Varadharaja Perumal Temple in ariyalur district in 2008. Siva-arvati, bedecked in jewels, belongs to the 12th century and had been missing from Vanmiganadhar Swamy Temple in Thanjavur for years. Standing child Sambandar, 11th-century idols, were burgled from Sayavaneeswarar Temple in Nagapattinam around 1965-75. Child Sambandar, also an 11th-century statue, had gone missing from a temple.
The officials of the idol wing of Tamil Nadu CID, who attended the ceremony in Delhi, said that after completing court formalities, these idols would be given to temple authorities so that they could be reinstalled at the place from where they were stolen.