Stolen Chola-era Hanuman idol brought back to India

Tamil Nadu Idol Wing police retrieves a rare bronze idol of Hanuman, stolen from a Chola-era temple in Ariyalur district a decade ago and auctioned by Christie’s in 2014

A rare variety bronze idol of Hanuman, which was stolen from a Chola-era temple in Ariyalur district a decade ago and auctioned by Christie’s in 2014 to a private collector and U.S. citizen residing in Australia, was finally retrieved by Idol Wing CID of Tamilnadu Police after a long struggle.

A theft was reported from a Chola-era Vishnu temple called Sri Varadharajaperumal Temple in Pottaveli Velur village near Sendurai, Ariyalur district in 2012. Unidentified persons broke open the doors of the temple and looted four bronze idols of Varadharaja Perumal, Sridevi, Bhoodevi and Hanuman. A case was registered by Sendurai police, following a complaint from one of the trustees of the temple. After taking efforts to investigate, this case was closed as ‘undetected’ by the local police. Subsequently, the case was transferred to the Idol Wing CID in 2020 on the orders of the Director General of Police.

The Idol Wing CID, which took up the case for investigation, searched the various idol images displayed on the websites of the art galleries and museums abroad. All the images of the stolen metal idols were compared with the images displayed in the museums.

Additional Director General of Police, Shailesh Kumar Yadav told The Hindu, “Our officers found out that the image of the Hanuman idol was matched with the image displayed in Christie’s New York, an art auction house in the U.S. Further enquiry revealed the idol was auctioned and owned by a private art collector who is a U.S. citizen residing in Australia.”

The idol was auctioned on March 19, 2014 for sale price of US$ 37,500.

Mr. Yadav said, “After knowing this, we have sent letters to the Home Department. On the continuous efforts taken by the Idol Wing CID, the private collector who kept the idol has accepted and handed over the idol to the Government of Australia through the U.S. Embassy. In turn, it was handed over to the India High Commission at Canberra, Australia with assistance from the Union Ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Finally the Hanuman Idol was repatriated to India.