Seven stolen antique idols recovered from Auroville shop

CHENNAI: Seven stolen antique idols hoarded at a shop in Auroville near Puducherry were seized by the Idol Wing officers on Friday. The seizure followed a tip-off that a shop dealing with handicrafts in Auroville was hoarding ancient idols that were stolen from temples across Tamil Nadu. 

Idol Wing DGP Jayanth Murali said after making enquiries and ascertaining the truth, the Idol Wing obtained an order from the Judicial Magistrate to search the premises. “A special team of police officers under Idol Wing Trichy DSP, Kathiresan and Idol Wing Kumbakonam Inspector Indira raided Metal Crafts located in Bommayapalayam in Auroville in Villupuram district,” he said.

The seized idols are a 116-cm-long bronze idol of Arthanareeswarar , 60-cm-long metal idol of Arthanareeswarar, 60-cm-long bronze metallic idol of Arthanareeswarar, 126-cm-long bronze idol of Sivagami Amman, 122-cm-long bronze idol of Krishnan, 22-cm-long Buddha idol made of metal and a 34-cm-long bronze peacock (Mullu Mailvaganam) idol. 

During the search, the officers also seized a document of the Archaeological Survey of India declaring that one of the three idols of Ardhanareeswarar was suspected to be an antique piece. Police said K Ramachandran, 42, the shop owner had tried to obtain a clearance certificate from ASI when they found out that it was an antique idol. 

A press statement from the idol wing said as the owner could not establish the provenance of the idols, the Idol wing is investigating how and by whom and from where the idols were stolen.The idols are expected to be submitted before the ASI for inspection, and a report will be forwarded to HR. & CE department for identifying and assigning the idols to the temples.