Australia agrees to return three Chola-era idols to Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Three antique idols stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu will be repatriated from Australia after the Australian authorities agreed to return them during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country on Thursday.

The Idol Wing-CID said the idols, traced to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, will be brought back to India through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) process before being handed over to the respective temples.

According to the Idol Wing-CID, the repatriation follows sustained efforts to trace and recover stolen idols, antiques and cultural artefacts smuggled out of the country. Investigations by the wing had identified several missing temple idols at international museums and auction houses.

The three artefacts, all dating back to the 12th century, are linked to Idol Wing's case filed in 2016.

The idols include a trident with Kali (Bhadrakali), estimated to be worth around Rs two crore, a stone idol of Nandhi (Sacred Bull) belonging to Arulmigu Kailasanathar Temple at Kaduvankudi in Thiruvarur district, valued at about Rs four crore, and a stone idol of Six-Headed Skandha-Karthikeya (Subramanya) belonging to Arulmigu Naganathaswami Temple at Manambadi village near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, valued at around Rs two crore.

The Idol Wing-CID said the recovery was made possible through coordinated efforts with Australian authorities under the MLAT framework. The wing has been pursuing the recovery of stolen temple idols and cultural treasures from museums, galleries and auction houses across the world.

Additional Director General of Police D. Kalpana Nayak, Inspector General of Police Anil Kumar Giri and Superintendent of Police M. Chandrasekaran commended the Idol Wing-CID team for its efforts in securing the repatriation. Director General of Police and Head of Police Force Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal also appreciated the officers involved in the operation.