CHENNAI: The Idol Wing CID personnel on Friday traced three antique idols, including a Natraja idol missing for over five decades, stolen from three temples in Tamil Nadu to separate museums abroad. The antiques included the bronze Nataraja idol from Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi, an Alingana Murthy idol from Kovilpalayam in Perambalur and granite Buddha statue from Kancheepuram.
The large Nataraja idol, dating back to the 15th-16th century Vijayanagara empire, had been stolen with three other metal idols from the Akilandeswari Sametha Gotanda Ramaswamy temple in Kovilpatti 50 years ago. While the three others were seized and suspects arrested previously, the Nataraja idol remained missing.
The Idol Wing officers recently noticed a bronze Nataraja idol, estimated at around `1.76 crore to `2.64 crore, up for sale in the Christies auction website in France. The images of the idol were checked with the Indo-French Institute of Puducherry (IFP).
“There was an image of the idol taken inside the temple in Kovilpatti in 1958. We sent a web image from the Christies website with the IFP image to an expert. The expert confirmed it was the same idol,” said K Jayanth Murali, DGP Idol Wing CID. After the intervention of the Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf, the auction was halted.
The 1400-year-ago Buddha statue stolen in 2003 from Adikesava Perumal temple Arapakkam was traced to the warehouse of the District Attorney’s office in Manhattan. It was seized from smuggler Subash Kapoor’s gallery - Art of the Past. The wing will submit documents within a week to bring the idol back to TN.
Meanwhile, officers had stumbled upon a Sotheby’s catalogue that the Alingana Murthy idol stolen from Perambalur’s Tolisvarar temple was sold for US $85000 in 1998. It may be noted Idol wing CID director and DGP Jayanth Murali is retiring after 30 years of service. His farewell parade was held at the Raja Rathinam Stadium, Egmore on Friday.