CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu police idol-wing CID has traced antique idols stolen from a temple in Kumbakonam almost six decades ago, to a museum in the US. A Somaskandar idol from the 10th century has been found in Norton Simon Museum, California, while an Amman idol is in a Denver museum.
Idols stolen from state traced to US museums
Two antique idols stolen from a temple in Kumbakonam about sixty years ago have been tracked down to museums in the US by the idol wing CID of Tamil Nadu police.
The police began an investigation based on a petition submitted by K Narayanasamy of Sivapuram village near Kumbakonam to the DGP of idol wing, K Jayanth Murali. The petition claimed that a few antique idols at Sivagurunathan Swamy temple in Sivapuram could be fake. He suspected that the original idols had been stolen.
A preliminary inquiry was conducted. Old pictures of the idols were collected from the French Institute of Puducherry for reference. "The photographs of Somaskandar and Thani Amman did not match with the idols at the temple. Suspicions arose that the antiques could have been stolen and replaced with replicas," said a press release issued by the idol wing. The Somaskandar idol, made of bronze, has been found at the Norton Simon museum in Pasadena, California. The Thani Amman idol is at a museum in Denver. tnn
