In Tamilnadu, Temples, Temple property, Idols and Artefacts were good sources of loot for many.

While the common people value the temples and the history behind each, some well connected individuals unscrupulously have been looting the Idols, Deities, and almost everything possible.

The atheist culture promoted in the state by some groups, who are devoid of any sense of heritage, could not see anything reverential in the temple treasures and have been plundering them to sell them to the highest bidder.

Many responsible Hindu activists have been at the forefront in documenting and retrieving these thefts.

This is our effort to feature them so that the public are informed of how their heritage can be robbed and sold,

right under their nose, unless they are aware and watchful.

Perpetrators donning Protectors’ Role

Police case diaries of 41 thefts of temple idols and invaluable artefacts had gone missing. We would not have known about this, until Lawyer/Temple activist ‘Elephant’ Rajendran petitioned the Chennai High Court in Feb ‘20. for a court-monitored investigation by a retired police officer into the missing of the case diaries. He has filed this petition based on RTI reply in 2018. S Vijaykumar, co-founder of Indian Pride Project and author of the book ‘The Idol Theft’ clears the aspersion being cast on Idol Wing IG Pon Manickavel, who retired in November 2019.

The case diaries relate to idol thefts from the period DMK came to power in Tamilnadu. Idol thefts have been rampant during the period from 1967 when either DMK and ADMK were in power in Tamilnadu. Right from the 1950s, idol theft cases have been closed saying the missing idols were "untraceable" as per Vijayakumar.

The State has neither regard for Court Orders nor fear of law. Chennai High Court bench was monitoring idol theft cases investigated by Idol wing IGP. Temple activist R Venkataraman’s petition says “ancient idols from Chola-era temples in Thanjavur district were moved and stocked unofficially in Pandanallur against security norms. HR&CE department created records that idols are secure, when factually six precious idols were missing. Instead of keeping the idols at the Icon Centre, they were kept in an unauthorised tunnel and also in a scrap room belonging to the Public Works Department.”

In another case, filed by Activist Elephant G Rajendran, it was alleged that a senior police officer, I Khader Basha, now DSP, and two other police personnel, who were earlier part of the Idol Wing, came into possession of six idols while investigating a case involving one Arokiaraj.

Two of these were allegedly sold to a noted smuggler in Chennai for Rs 15 lakh, who then resold them for an alleged sum of Rs 6 crore. But despite an FIR being filed against the police officials concerned, they were promoted, and “no further action, either by way of arrest or by departmental proceedings, was initiated.”

The High Court Order of July 21, 2017 by Justice R Mahadevan had reprimanded HR&CE Dept. for their total failure to protect priceless heritage assets. After noting that Indian temples had been ravaged by invaders for centuries, he added:

“For the past several years, a new form of attack is carried out by smuggling the ancient idols. Foreigners and disbelievers see the idols as antiques worth only in terms of money, but the people of this country see them in the semblance of god, culture and identity. HR&CE is the custodian of most of the state’s temples and their properties, but has clearly failed to do so despite controlling large revenues. “It is startling to find that the HR&CE department, with all its income from major temples, has not been able to maintain historical temples and safeguard the idols … many temples constructed at least 1,500 years ago or much before … are in ruins. Even the daily rituals are not performed. Some temples remain closed throughout the day with no one to even light (sic) the lamps … this has also come to the advantage of the miscreants, who have laid their hands on the idols.”

It was later revealed that more than 350 bronze idols belonging to temples in 73 neighbouring villages were being kept in custody at the Pandanallur icon centre. It was found that several ancient icons had been stolen and were replaced by duplicate ones. The culprits were repeat offenders in other similar cases as well. The accused who were arrested in Nov ‘17 have been released on bail in 2018. Do you think that the harsh Court Order earlier mentioned would have any impact on strengthening idol security by the Govt.? If you think so. you will be in for a rude shock.

The same HC Judge in Jul ‘18 admonished the Govt for their delayed affidavit claiming that 3000 strong rooms will be built by 2021 in addition to such rooms in 11252 Temples and seeking time till 2021. The Chief Secretary will be summoned, the Judge warned. The Govt. revised its stand and undertook to the Court to build these strong rooms by end of 2019. But knowing the sincerity of the Govt., we know it is yet another white lie. 1,200 ancient idols are reported to have been stolen from Tamil Nadu temples in 25 years from 1992 to 2017. When custodians of rare artefacts are accomplices this happens. It's not just inefficiency. State does not want to instal State-of-the-Art security systems, inspite of huge incomes from Temples.. Read Full article in ToI

It is shocking to know from newspaper reports of Nov ‘19 that idols and antiquities seized by Idol Wing Police are lying abandoned in an open car park in Chennai. They are in CB - CID Economic Wings’ Office in Guindy, Chennai, with just a wall separating them from the Adyar river.

The Court directed the state government to fast track investigations under a special Chief Judicial Magistrate against the accused employees of the HR&CE department and the conniving police officers, who together attempted to smuggle them out of India by forging a paper trail while hiding the idols in a tunnel and then in a safe-house, all the while pretending that the idol has been secured in an ICON centre by them.

Justice R Mahadevan also ordered moving all idols to strong-rooms or Icon Centres, creation of a list of all temples managed by the state and the number of priests they employ, computerisation of records and 24×7 video and electronic surveillance of these idols and other valuables. The strength of the mafia was such that it took court orders to reinstate Pon Manickavel, the crack officer in-charge of idol theft in the state, to the investigation. http://indiafacts.org/bringing-antiquities-home-implications-hrce-judgment-madras-high-court/

https://www.dtnext.in/News/TopNews/2018/10/06002842/1091115/Temple-pillars-unearthed-during-raid-on-Poes-Garden-.vpf

“Efflorescence can result in deterioration of the surface through expansion and flaking. Bird droppings too are a threat. It may need treatment to remove salt by poultice using paper pulp,” said Professor Sharada Srinivasan, an expert in archeological science with the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore.T. Satyamurthy, former Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI, said stone idols, pillars lose their features such as carving if they are exposed to sun and rain.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/seized-but-squandered-precious-antiques-lie-abandoned-by-the-adyar/article29947209.ece

Tamil Nadu Govt's fight with IGP Pon Manickavel was out in open, when Chennai High Court had to intervene to extend his services for yet another year till Nov ‘19. This is the environment in which Idol wing IGP Pon Manickavel was operating. He was not given proper office and he had to use his car as his office. HR&CE employees have been pampered to such an extent that they staged protests against idol wing IGP and even submitted a complaint against him to the Director General of Police.