600 years old 'Nataraja', 'Veendhara Siva' and 'Vishnu' idols seized Puducherry
The antique Hindu deity idols were being held in absence of any legal documents at a location in Puducherry. This was the tip that led the Tamil Nadu CID Police"s idol wing to catch the hoarders.
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Chennai, Apr 14: The Tamil Nadu CID Police, idol wing has seized antique Hindu idols of deities 'Nataraja' and 'Veendhara Siva' (Forms of Shiva) and 'Vishnu' in Puducherry on Apr 12, that were possessed by individuals without legal documents.
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The antique Hindu deity idols were being held in absence of any legal documents at a location in Puducherry. This was the tip that led the Tamil Nadu CID Police's idol wing to catch the hoarders. According to the police reports, teams from Chennai conducted searches at a premise on Suffren Road, Puducherry on Tuesday (Apr 12) and seized three antique metal idols of Hindu deities.
The idols are believed to be over 600 years old, the period being the transition of Chola and Vijayanagara dynasties. Police suggest that the idols are suspected to have been stolen from Hindu temples even before 1980, not mentioning the exact date. The idols have been recognized of depicting the Hindu deities of 'Nataraja', 'Veendhara Siva' and 'Vishnu'.
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The idols were previously in the possession of late Joseph Colombani of Puducherry. However, no legal documents related to their possession were available at the premises. The idols were being attempted to be smuggled to France. The Nataraja idol alone is valued at Rs. 60 million, whereas the other two idols are worth Rs. 30 million each. Investigation is underway to find the origin of the retrieved idols as well as the temples that where they belong.