An idol of Lord Hanuman, stolen a decade ago would be repatriated to India soon. Built between the 14th and 15th centuries, during the period of the Vijayanagara empire, the statue was stolen from Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur district and smuggled abroad and was recently found in possession of a private buyer in Australia.
On Tuesday, February 22, it was returned to Indian High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra at Canberra by Australian Chargé d’Affaires Michael Goldman.
Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy tweeted on Wednesday about it. He wrote, “Five hundred-year-old Lord Hanuman bronze idol stolen from Tamil Nadu temple, to be repatriated back to India. The stolen idol retrieved by US Homeland Security was handed over to @HCICanberra by US CDA.”
An official in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is the custodian of such artifacts till they are handed back to their state of origin gave more information about the theft. He said, "This Anjaneyar (Hanuman) idol was burgled along with Sri Devi idol and Boodevi idol from the Varadharaja Perumal temple in Vellur village, Ariyalur, on April 9, 2012.”
During the investigation of the stolen artifacts, officials found out that in March 2014, a idol was auctioned by Christie’s for $37,500 to a buyer in Australia. Upon discovery and subsequent investigation, it was found to be the same idol that was stolen from India. The Tamil Nadu Police’s Idol Wing was assisted in the case by US Homeland Security.
According to sources, the auction house and the buyer in Australia were unaware that the idol was stolen.
The idol will be brought back to India within a month and handed over to the Idol Wing. It will be restored to the temple from where it was stolen.
