Murugan idol from Pallava era temple in Tamil Nadu found in US after 23 years

After 23 years, an idol of Lord Murugan (Subrahmanya) reportedly stolen from a temple during the later Pallava era in Thachur village of Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district has been located in the US, according to the state's Idol Wing CID on Friday (August 18).

The police corroborated it with a list of confiscated idols available with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the principal investigative arm of the US Department of Homeland Security responsible for investigating transnational crimes and threats.

"A detailed investigation is being conducted in this regard. After getting the list of stolen idols from the HSI-USA, action will be taken to retrieve the stone idol of Lord Murugan through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to our country," Additional Director General of Police, Idol Wing CID, Shailesh Kumar Yadav said.

On August 3, one Periyasamy Udaiyar from Thachur village filed a complaint with the Idol Wing Police claiming that an idol of Lord Murugan in standing posture was stolen in the year 2,000 from the temple belonging to the 7th or 8th century (later Pallava period) located in Thachur village.

No complaint seems to have been filed at the time of the theft 23 years ago.

He alleged that the temple was destroyed during foreign invasions by Malik Kafur and by Mughal kings but was later resurrected.

"There were 13 stone idols of deities at the temple and devotees started worshipping them from 1998 onwards," he had said in his complaint, police quoting him said in a release.

The idols of 'Vishnu', 'Sridevi' and 'Boodevi' were recovered and handed over to the Ullundurpettai Sri Adikesava Perumal temple recently by the Idol wing, ADGP Yadav said in the release.

Superintendent of Police S Sakthi Ganesan, Additional Deputy Superintendents of Police G Balamurugan and K P S Devaraj, and DSP North Zone U Muthuraja were part of the team that traced the idol.

(With agency inputs)