UK repatriated idols of Indian deities stolen from Tamil Nadu
After a collector volunteered to return the sculpture of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana,the idols were handed over in a ceremony conducted inside India House in London with the limit on gatherings due to the COVID-19 restrictions, priests from Sri Murugan Temple in London conducted a short religious ceremony in the veneration of the congenial gesture.
Indian High Commissioner to the UK Gaitri Issar Kumar asserted, “We wanted to ensure these deities were handled with due reverence and propriety before they are shipped back to India.”
Three priceless statues of Vijayanagara period were stolen from Vishnu temple, Nagapatinnam in 1978, investigation by the Idol Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police has been working along with colleagues in the Metropolitan Police in London.The UK based collector who volunteered to hand over the idols was believed to be an ardent connoisseur of Indian art and craft.