Former Idol Wing IG Ponn Manickavel visited the ancient Puradhana Vaneswarar Temple, a ancient Shiva temple located in Thiruchitrambalam, Thanjavur district, to perform darshan at the request of local villagers and Om Namachivaya devotees. Following his visit, he engaged with the assembled villagers and devotees, discussing various aspects of the temple’s activities.
Later, in a media interaction, Manickavel revealed that the Sivagami Amman Panchaloha idol from the Puradhana Vaneswarar temple had been stolen 20 years ago. Speaking to reporters, Manickavel clarified, “They say the main deity is Periyanayaki and other names, but according to the inscriptions, the temple’s main deity is Thiruchitrambalamudaya Mahadevar, a Tamil name, not Eshwarar or Shiva, which are names in northern languages. Parvathy is also a word from the north, but no one knows it; only Sivagami Amman is ours, and let it be. In total, we have stated the temple and the deity’s name. Next to say the ancientness the temple is a 1374-year-old temple.”
He then noted that a Lingōdbhavar, located behind the Garbhagriha, suggests that the temple dates back to the era of Aditya Chola I, the son of Vijayalaya Chola. Additionally, he mentioned that inscriptions from the Rajaraja Chola period, his son Rajendra Chola’s period, and later from the Vijayanagar period, specifically from ruler Venkatapathi, are also present in the temple. Manickavel explained that he visited the temple at the villagers’ request due to concerns about the lost Sivagami Amman idol, which was stolen 20 years ago, and discussed a petition related to its recovery.
Speaking about the idol, Manickavel said, “The deity’s name is Sivagama Sundari, and she is currently in a foreign country, specifically displayed in a private museum as an exhibit to generate revenue. The museum is now planning to auction the idol. We need to bring it back, and that’s why I came here after being informed about the situation.”
Manickavel further addressed the petition, revealing that the Sivagami Amman idol was stolen more than 20 years ago. He accused the HR&CE of concealing details from the court, explaining that it was their responsibility to report the theft. He emphasized that it is the police’s duty to arrest those responsible if an offense is involved. However, he noted, no officers were reprimanded. Instead, he claimed that efforts to hold them accountable are met with criticism and attempts to silence him.
He then ridiculed the recent criticisms aimed at him, mockingly asserted, “It’s okay if you bite like a dog, but you bite like a fox. It doesn’t matter if you bite like a fox, dog, or even a lion, I will not give up my work. I will be engaged with it until I die.”
He explained that the idol is currently on display in a private museum in New York State, USA, after being transported from Mumbai. The museum exhibits the statue daily and is now preparing to auction it. Hence, Manickavel urged the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to act swiftly to retrieve the ₹10 crore idol within the next three months. He warned that, if necessary steps are not taken, he would pursue legal action with the support of the local community to recover the stolen artifact. He also noted that there had been three previous instances where various idols were stolen and later recovered.
"நரி இல்ல, நாய் இல்ல, சிங்கம் மாறி குதறினாலும் சாகும் வரை போராடுவேன்" பொன்மாணிக்கவேல் உறுதி#Thanjavur #PonnManickavel #ExPoliceOfficer #NewsTamil #Newstamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/EolDtRoslN
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) September 2, 2024
Subscribe to our Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram channels and get the best stories of the day delivered instantly.