Tamil Nadu Police’s Idol Wing CID Police The Venugopal Swamy Temple at Nelson – Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, USA, has unearthed two stolen ancient idols – Yoganarasimha and Ganesha – belonging to Alathur.
In 2017, S. Nagarajan, Inspector, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment, Mannargudi, filed a complaint at the Vikramapandiyam police station in Tiruvarur district, alleging the theft of three ancient metal idols – Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi – belonging to the Venugopal Swamy temple, which were Was placed. At Vishwanatha Swamy temple in the same village for safe custody. He further said that the few remaining idols were handed over to Tiruvarur Icon Center for safe custody.
He requested the recovery of ancient idols of Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi metal idols, which were stolen about 50 years ago. Based on his complaint, a case was registered at Vikrapandiyam police station and the Idol Wing CID investigated the matter.
Police traced three ancient idols – Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi – belonging to the Venugopal Swamy temple at the LACMA Museum, Los Angeles. At this point, the officer Sri Nagarajan, who handed over the custody of the remaining idols of the Venugopal Swamy temple to the Tiruvarur Icon Centre, raised doubts about their status.
Investigation revealed that six idols – Yoganarasimha, Ganesha, dancing Krishna, dancing Sambanthar, Somaskandar and standing Vishnu, which were placed in the icon centre, were found to be fake.
Tamil Nadu Police’s Idol Wing CID Police have unearthed two stolen ancient idols- Yoganarasimha and Ganesha belonging to Venugopal Swamy Temple, Alathur, in Tiruvarur District, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. photo credit: special arrangement
As no images of the original idols were available with the temple authorities nor in other records, the Idol Branch decided to check whether any photographs or documents were available with the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP).
Director General of Police, Idol Wing CID, K Jayant Murali said, “After receiving the photographs from the IFP, we started looking for sculptures similar to the images with us on the websites of various museums across the world. During the search, we found some photographs of idols like Yoganarasingha and Ganesha belonging to the Venugopal Swamy Temple, which were on display in the galleries of the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City. Experts have also confirmed this.”
Police said the six idols were secretly removed from the temple about 50 years ago and replaced by replicas which are now in the Thiruvarur Icon Centre. The IFP photographs were taken in 1959 and the Venugopal Swamy Temple came under the control of HR&CE in 1975.
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The Idol Wing has prepared and submitted papers proving the ownership of the two idols to the government for onward transmission to the United States for repatriation to Tamil Nadu.