Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust Temple trustee moves NAI, seeks India's blue Nassak diamond from Lebanon

NASHIK: A trustee of the Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust near here has approached the National Archives of India (NAI) in Delhi, seeking to bring back the blue Nassak diamond, which reportedly once graced the crown of Lord Shiva idol at the famous Trimbakeshwar temple.

Lalita Shinde, trustee of Trimbakeshwar Devasthan, said the precious diamond, which was allegedly looted by several rulers in the ancient times, is now said to be kept at a private museum in Lebanon.

Shinde, who had earlier written letters to former President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Sushma Swaraj and other departments concerned, in a bid to bring back the diamond, visited the NIA in Delhi on Thursday and gave a memorandum to its office-bearers.

The blue Nassak diamond, also called 'eye' of Lord Shiva, weighed 43.

38 carats or 8,676 gram when it was found in Golconda mines of Kollur and originally cut in India.

The diamond was the adornment in the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple in the 15th century, she claimed.

"I had written letters to the president, PM and ministers concerned, but did not get any response.

Therefore, I decided to approach the NAI.

My demand is that the government should get back the diamond from the Lebanon museum as soon as possible," Shinde said.

She also appealed to the experts in the field and historians to throw more light on the diamond.