Oxford museum to return Tamil Nadu's stolen Thirumangai Alwar statue
The Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University has agreed to return a stolen bronze idol of saint-poet Thirumangai Alwar to Tamil Nadu. The artifact was illegally taken from the Soundararaja Perumal Temple in Kumbakonam decades ago and purchased by the museum in 1967. The decision to return the statue came after the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID registered a case in 2020 based on specific information regarding the theft of four valuable idols from the temple between 1957 and 1967.
Investigation traces stolen idols, prompts repatriation request
The state Idol Wing CID recently presented evidence that the idol was trafficked from the ancient temple in the Thanjavur district. It then sent a formal request to return the idols, along with documents establishing their origins. Oxford University examined this evidence and confirmed that the Thirumangai Alwar idol was illegally removed from Kumbakonam. After this verification, the university's council promised to return it and bear all expenses of its transfer back to Tamil Nadu.
Stolen idol's return marks significant step
The Thirumangai Alwar idol is expected to arrive in Tamil Nadu within a month. Since their theft, the Soundararaja Perumal Temple has been using replicas of the original idols for worship. The temple performed its Kumbhabhishekham on June 16, 2024, with these replicas. Efforts are also underway to repatriate the remaining three idols—Kaalinga Nartha Krishnar, Vishnu, and Sridevi—currently housed in museums across the United States.
