Panchaloha idol found near Nemili town in Ranipet
The Hindu
A panchaloha idol was found abandoned at the entrance of the Dugaiammman temple in Nelvoy village near Nemili town in Ranipet on Wednesday.
A panchaloha idol was found abandoned at the entrance of the Dugaiammman temple in Nelvoy village near Nemili town in Ranipet on Wednesday.
Police said that it was around 8 a.m when they got an alert from residents and temple authorities that they had found the idol at the entrance of the locked temple. Immediately, the police team and revenue officials, led by K. Sumathi, Tasildar (Nemili taluk), rushed to the spot to retrieve the idol. However, a section of residents objected to it, claiming that the idol belonged to the village and should be placed at the temple.
After more than two hours of talks between revenue officials and residents, officials were able to retrieve the idol from the spot. The idol, which weighs around 20 kg and dates back to the 19th century, was two feet high and featured a beautifully carved goddess who was seated on a lion, holding different types of weapons in her six hands.
Police have been investigating whether the idol was stolen from any temple in the State and why it was abandoned at the temple. As there were no CCTV cameras in the temple premises or in the village, the case remains challenging. Further investigation is on, police said.