A priceless emerald idol of Lord Murugan was stolen from a hill-top temple near Madurantakam in Tamil Nadu, about 60km south of Chennai, by thieves who breached a three-layer security system, disabled the alarm and sprayed paint over CCTV cameras on Tuesday night, according to a report in The Times of India.
The theft took place at Sri Maragatha Bala Dhandayuthapani Murugan Temple in Perungkaranai village, popularly known among devotees as "Nadu Palani." The presiding deity, a 2.25-foot-tall idol carved entirely out of emerald, was brought from Mysuru and installed at the temple in 2008
