Officers of the Idol Wing CID have started an investigation into the alleged theft of carved stone pillars from the Adikesava Perumal Temple at Thiruvattar in Kanniyakumari district, which is one of the 108 Divyadesams.
A senior officer said, “Following information about the theft of stone pillars, we conducted a preliminary investigation. It revealed that an attempt was made to remove four antique pillars with carvings between 1992 and 1995. Of the four, two pillars were removed and stolen from the temple. They were illegally transported to Chennai.”
“Now, we have formally registered a case and intensified the investigation into the theft. We have also zeroed in on the whereabouts of two pillars and will seize them soon,” the officer said.
The temple is famous for its beautiful sculptures and ‘Otraikkal Mandapam’, made of a single stone, 3 ft thick.
The ancient temple has a great heritage value, having inscriptions, copper plates, and sculptures containing its history.
The temple was handed over to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Tamil Nadu, after the reorganisation of States.
Last year, a Nagercoil court convicted 23 persons on the charge of theft of gold ornaments, precious stones and a diamond crown from the temple.
