Bronze idol of dancing Krishna burgled from Rameswaram temple 50 years ago, traced to US museum

Investigation revealed that the idol had gone missing from the temple in 1966 and was later purchased by the Indianapolis museum of Art, and is now in its possession

The Idol Wing CID (IWCID) of Tamil Nadu Police has traced a dancing Krishna bronze idol that was reportedly burgled in 1966 from Ekantha Ramaswamy Temple, Thangachimadam village near Rameswaram of Ramanathapuram district to the Indianapolis Museum Of Art, USA.

On November, 23 of this year, G. Narayani, an executive officer of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Kalaiyar Kovil Circle, submitted a complaint to the Idol Wing CID, Chennai, stating that three or more idols including an antique Krishna idol belonging to Ekantha Ramasamy Temple, Thangachimadam village, Rameswaram Circle, had been burgled in 1966. She requested Idol Wing to investigate, take action and recover the antique idols and restore them.

The IWCID registered a case and G. Balamurugan, Additional Superintendent of Police, was assigned to investigate the cases.

As no image of the dancing Krishna idol was available in the temple records, police sought assistance of French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP) to provide the stock Images. Upon obtaining the photo images, the investigating officer came to know that the temple had 12 metal idols in 1958 and the temple priest had handed over six metal idols to HR&CE officials in 2012.

The police said six idols including that of Krishna alias Kendarva Krishna (dancing posture), Vishnu, Sridevi, and Bhoodevi were stolen.

The Director General of Police, Idol Wing CID K. Jayanth Murali said while combing through the various websites of museums in the world, the idol of dancing Krishna similar to the IFP image was found being displayed on the website of Indianapolis Museum of Art. An expert after comparing the images gave an opinion concluding that the two photographs (IFP and Indianapolis museum’s) of the metal images of Lord Krishna (in dancing posture) are one and the same.

“The investigation revealed that the idol had gone missing from the temple in 1966 and was later purchased by the Indianapolis museum of Art, and is now in its possession. We are now making efforts to trace the remaining five idols which got burgled from the temple and are yet to be traced,” said Mr. Jayanth Murali.