Tamil Nadu's bronze idols reach home after 42 years

Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu): The authorities of the Rajagopalaswamy temple of Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district said that it recovered three of its bronze idols, which were stolen 42 years ago. The idols were recovered in London.

The bronze idols reached Chennai on Saturday (November 21).

The bronze idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshmana, and Hanuman were stolen in the year 1978. The Rajagopalaswamy temple was built in the 15th century. Back in the time when the idols were stolen, Porayar police registered a case and arrested three people, however, the idols could not be traced.

It was only when a Singapore based voluntary organisation, which keeps a track of the trade of artefacts in the international market, informed that three of the four bronze idols (Ram, Sita, and Lakshmana) were recovered in London. The idols were recovered in September from an antique collector in London.

The three idols were handed over to the Indian Embassy by the Metropolitan Police in London.

Earlier this week, the idols were brought from London to India. The Union Culture Ministry handed the three bronze idols to Tamil Nadu Government. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K Palaniswami inspected the idols on Friday. CM Palaniswami handed them over to the temple executive officer.

The idols, which reached its place after 42 years, will be formally reinstalled on November 25.

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