The Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University in London has decided to return an idol of the saint-poet Thirumangai Alwar, which was stolen decades ago by idol smugglers from the Soundararaja Perumal Temple in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district.
In a recent statement, the Idol Wing CID (IWCID) of the Tamil Nadu police announced that the University of Oxford in London, through a communication from its Council, had affirmed its commitment to returning the idol to India. The Idol Wing, headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) R. Dhinakaran, is overseeing the repatriation process.
The IWCID stated that the council acknowledged the fact that the bronze idol of Thirumangai Alwar had been unlawfully taken from the Soundararaja Perumal Temple in a village near Kumbakonam.
“This marks a significant step in the efforts to return stolen idols to their rightful places of origin. Efforts are under way to bring this idol to Tamil Nadu within a months’ time,” read the statement.
The university pledged to bear all expenses related to transporting the idol from London to India, ensuring its return to the temple for worship, according to the statement.
As part of the verification process for the report submitted by the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID, Oxford University dispatched a representative to conduct a “due diligence” visit, according to R. Shivakumar, Superintendent of Police (SP) of the IWCID. During this visit, the testimonies of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and Investigating Officer (IO) P. Chandrasekaran successfully established the origin of the bronze idol of Thirumangai Alwar. This led to the university granting permission for the idol’s repatriation, the statement added.
In 2020, the IWCID filed a case following specific information about the theft of four valuable idols from the Soundararaja Perumal Temple in Kumbakonam. Among them was a 16th-century bronze idol of Thirumangai Alwar, along with three other metal idols—Kaalinga Nartha Krishnar, Vishnu, and Sridevi. These idols were stolen between 1957 and 1967, sold by unidentified idol traffickers, and smuggled overseas. The idols of Kaalinga Nartha Krishnar, Vishnu, and Sridevi are currently housed in various museums across the United States.
Investigations have revealed that the original four idols are preserved in foreign museums, while replicas are being used for worship at the Sri Soundararaja Perumal Temple.
Antiquities expert Vijay Kumar of the India Pride Project expressed concern about how many other temples in the state may have been looted using the same method. He urged the HR & CE and IWCID to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the presence of similar counterfeit idols from that era.
Source: Times Of India
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