Ancient idols kept in temples with insufficient security measures in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts will soon be housed in a secure place.
The construction of Icon Centres with requisite safety measures to safeguard the precious idols was apace in both districts which had several shrines within its territorial jurisdiction.
Work on the establishment of the Icon Centres is on the verge of completion, say officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department which was setting up the two icon centres.
Coming up in Perambalur and Ariyalur towns, the Icon Centres would have a strong room and equipped with closed circuit television units and burglar alarms as a safety and security measure, say HR&CE officials.
The two air-conditioned centres were being built in such a way to accommodate over 1,000 ancient idols. The department had granted funds to the tune of over Rs. 90 lakh each for the construction of the Icon Centres.
Officials say works relating construction of the centres was expected to be completed soon. Idols kept in temples with inadequate security measures in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts would be brought to the Icon Centres to ensure safety and prevent their burglary, the officials said.
The two districts alone account for over 1,000 temples coming under the control of the HR & CE department.
Devotees could take the idols on certain auspicious occasions and temple festivals after obtaining prior approval from the department to perform puja at the shrines.
Upon completion of the festival, the idols would be brought back to the icon centre and kept in safe custody, say the officials.
The setting up of Icon Centres was necessitated following burglary of idols from temples in non-descript locations across the State.
Over 20 idols from the temples in Sripuranthan and Suthamalli in Ariyalur district were burgled a few years ago with the Idol Wing CID Police arresting a U.S.-based antiquities dealer Subhash Chandra Kapoor and a few others in connection with the icons thefts.
The charge against Kapoor was that he had conspired to commit burglary, organised and funded the offence besides abetting smuggling. He is alleged to have sold the stolen idols to various museums abroad.
One of the stolen idols was that of Nataraja which was burgled from the Sripuranthan temple and returned back to India by Australia last year. The idol was subsequently sent to the Kumbakonam Icon Centre for safe custody.
