The Thirumangai Alwar bronze idol, stolen decades ago from a temple in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, is set to return to India. The Ashmolean Museum, based in Oxford, purchased the idol in 1967 but has now agreed to repatriate it after the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID presented concrete evidence of its illegal removal.
In a recent communication, the museum expressed its commitment to returning the artifact, which is valued at crores of rupees. It has also pledged to bear all costs for transferring the idol from London to Tamil Nadu. This marks a significant milestone in restoring stolen cultural treasures to their rightful locations.
Efforts are underway to ensure the idol's return to Tamil Nadu within a month.
Exceptional Investigation and Evidence Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal commended the meticulous work by the Idol Wing CID in identifying the origin of the idol and facilitating its repatriation. Deputy Superintendent of Police P. Chandrasekaran presented compelling evidence to the museum's representative, proving the idol's true origin. Following this, the University of Oxford’s Council reviewed the findings and confirmed that the idol was illicitly removed from the Sri Soundaraja Perumal Temple.
Continuing Efforts to Reclaim Other Stolen Idols The Thirumangai Alwar idol is one of four stolen from the Sri Soundaraja Perumal Temple in Kumbakonam between 1957 and 1967. The other three idols—Kaalinga Nartha Krishna, Vishnu, and Sridevi—are currently housed in museums in the United States. The Idol Wing CID is actively pursuing their repatriation using a similar process.
In 2020, a case was registered to investigate the theft of these idols, which were smuggled abroad and replaced with replicas at the temple. Through extensive efforts, the original idols were traced to museums in different countries.
Meticulous Documentation The investigation team, under the guidance of Inspector General of Police R. Dhinakaran and Superintendent of Police R. Sivakumar, has collected scientific and irrefutable evidence to establish the provenance of the stolen idols. This documentation has been shared with relevant authorities in the countries where the idols are currently located.
These efforts are part of a larger mission to return stolen artifacts to their original places of worship, restoring cultural heritage and allowing these sacred objects to once again serve their intended purpose.
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