Australian, U.S. authorities agree to hand over five idols to T.N.

The Idol Wing-CID of the Tamil Nadu Police said Australian and U.S. authorities had agreed to repatriate five idols to Tamil Nadu due to its sustained efforts.

Officials said the recovered artefacts were being brought back to the State through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) route, and subsequently handed over to the respective temples after due legal procedures. Investigations by the Idol Wing-CID revealed that several missing antique metal idols had surfaced in prominent international museums, institutions, and auction houses abroad.

Additional Director-General of Police, Idol Wing-CID, Kalpana Nayak said in a recent breakthrough that authorities in Australia have agreed to repatriate three antique metal idols dating back to the 12^th Century, while the U.S. has consented to return two more idols. In total, five idols will be repatriated to Tamil Nadu.

The three idols that will be repatriated from the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra are a trident with the auspicious Kali (Bhadrakali) worth about ₹2 crore, a stone idol of Nandi (Sacred Bull) belonging to the Arulmigu Kailasanathar temple of Kaduvankudi village in Tiruvarur district worth ₹4 crore, and a stone idol of Six-Headed Skanda — Karthikeya (Subramanya) belonging to the Arulmigu Naganathaswamy temple of Manambadi village worth about ₹2 crore.

The National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution of the U.S., agreed to return two metal sculptures kept in the Freer-Sackler Museum in Washington DC.

The two are Sundarar and Paravai Nachiyar belonging to the Arulmigu Nareeswarar Sivan Temple of Veera Cholapuram village in Kallakurichi district, constructed 900 years ago, and Somaskandar (12th-13th Century) belonging to the Arulmigu Viswanathasamy Temple in Aalathur village of Tiruvarur district.