Two antique idols seized from Dakshinachitra in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The Idol Wing CID on Thursday seized two antique idols from Dakshinachitra, a living-history museum on ECR, due to a lack of proper documents. 

The idols were given to DakshinaChitra in 2012 by a man named Masilamani, an alleged idol smuggler, to put on display and sell them. He has a case of misappropriation of funds for refurbishing idols filed against him at Siva Kanchi.

The Idol Wing received information that some antique idols without proper documents were on display at the museum run by Madras Craft Foundation. A team visited the museum and found out that the two idols did not have proper documents. When questioned, the museum authorities said that they were given to them by a man named Masilamani of Swamimalai to put them on display and sell them.

The two idols are Veenadharar and Rishabh Dhar. An investigation is on to trace the origins of the idol. A senior Idol Wing officer said, “The museum authorities said in 2012, Masilamani had given the idols to the museum and told them to display them and sell them off.”

In August, the Idol Wing CID recovered eight panchaloha idols from Masilamani’s manufacturing unit at Swamimalai. Masilamani has not yet provided documents for those idols, the officer said. An administrative officer at the Dakshinachitra museum told TNIE, “As there were no takers for the idols, we decided to return them, but Masilamani did not answer calls and did not take back the idols.” The administrative officer said even when the Idol Wing CID came for a search, Masilamani refused to answer his calls. The museum got in touch with him through his son Gowrishankar. 

The images of these idols have been sent to the HR&CE department and Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to find out from which temples these idols were stolen and to ascertain their antiquity.