It was a day of celebration for residents of Kallidaikurichi in Tirunelveli district, as they witnessed the return of a Nataraja idol stolen from their town 37 years ago. The idol which was at an Art Gallery in Australia for 19 years, was handed over to the idol wing two weeks ago. The idol is reportedly worth close to Rs.30 crore. Thousands to witness the return of the idol which was paraded across the town by priests.

The Nataraja idol was stolen in 1982 from the Sri Kulasekaramudaiyar Temple along with statues of Goddess Sivagami, Manickavasagar and Sribalinayakar. The case had been closed by the local police two years later, claiming they couldn't trace the stolen idols. In 2017, it was reopened by the idol wing who traced it to an Art Gallery in Adelaide, Australia.

According to report, the idol is 2.5-foot-tall and weighs over 100 kg. An idol wing team headed by IG Pon Manickavel went to Australia to retrieve the statue and bring to Delhi. From there the statue was brought to Chennai on September 13.

It was a day of celebration for residents of Kallidaikurichi in Tirunelveli district, as they witnessed the return of a Nataraja idol stolen from their town 37 years ago. The idol which was at an Art Gallery in Australia for 19 years, was handed over to the idol wing two weeks ago. The idol is reportedly worth close to Rs.30 crore. Thousands to witness the return of the idol which was paraded across the town by priests.

The Nataraja idol was stolen in 1982 from the Sri Kulasekaramudaiyar Temple along with statues of Goddess Sivagami, Manickavasagar and Sribalinayakar. The case had been closed by the local police two years later, claiming they couldn't trace the stolen idols. In 2017, it was reopened by the idol wing who traced it to an Art Gallery in Adelaide, Australia.

According to report, the idol is 2.5-foot-tall and weighs over 100 kg. An idol wing team headed by IG Pon Manickavel went to Australia to retrieve the statue and bring to Delhi. From there the statue was brought to Chennai on September 13.