CHENNAI: An antique bronze Somaskandhar idol worth Rs 8 crore belonging to Ekambareshwar temple in Kancheepuram has been traced by the state Idol Wing police to the Asian Art Museum in San Fransico, USA, DGP Shankar Jiwal said on Tuesday.
The idol wing’s inspector D Tamil Selvi identified the idol on the museum’s display. Their website listed its origin to ‘Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India’. It also said the idol dates back to 1500 CE and 1600 CE.
The description also mentioned it is made of bronze and a long Telugu inscription on the front of the pedestal mentions the name of the donor, his father and grandfather. It was also mentioned that the idol was made for the Ekambareshwarar (Ekambaranatha) Temple in the city of Kancheepuram, the DGP said in a release.
Epigraphy experts helped translate the four lines inscribed in Telugu. The inscription’s English translation confirms the idol’s connection with Ekambareshwarar temple, it added.
Experts also pegged the idol’s international market value at `8 crore and claimed that the language and characters on the idol indicated that it belongs to the 18th century CE.
Based on the findings of inspector Tamil Selvi, a case has been registered by the Idol wing under sections for stealing property, falsification of records and others and the relevant section of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act on Tuesday.