Tiruvanamalai HR and CE on alert mode, records idols’ details

“Work is currently under way to measure and weigh a total of 153 idols belonging to the Arunachaleswarar temple and three other shrines. The process is expected to be completed in another two days,” HR & CE Joint Commissioner R Gnanasekaran told DTNext. 

While department officials said taking stock of the temple idol inventory is a usual process whenever a new official takes charge – Gnanasekaran joined a fortnight ago – this is the first time that all idols were being weighed and their length and breadth being measured by temple officials. 

The entire work was being carried out under the supervision of the joint commissioner, officials added. The idols include those belonging to the Murugan temple at Somasipadi, the Durai Amman temple on Chinnakadai Street and another at Adi Annamalai on the girivalam path. Officials said that all the idols that were being examined were processional deities. 

“Henceforth, idols will be measured and weighed before the beginning of the procession. The same process will be done after the procession as well,” officials added. Similarly, old locks in some sannadhis have been replaced with new ones, they added. 

The steps taken by the HR & CE department assumes significance as temples across the State face the threat of idol theft. 

It was in July last year that Madras High Court directed the Idol wing police, with Inspector General AG Pon Manickavel as the special officer heading it, to investigate over 530 idol theft cases in the State.