Chennai: The state idol wing police seized an emerald lingam worth over Rs 500 crore from a resident in Thanjavur. The emerald idol is believed to be 1000 years old.
Acting on a tip-off, the police team raided the house of one Samiyappan in Arulananda area of Thanjavur on December 30. The emerald lingam was seized after the family said they do not possess any documents for the same.
Speaking to reporters, ADGP Jayant Murali said that the recovered emerald Shivalingam was valued at over Rs 500 crore by experts. He also said that further investigation into the matter is being conducted.
According to sources, an emerald lingam was reported missing from the Brahmapureeswarar temple in Tirukuvalai in Nagapattinam district in 2016. The temple is being owned by Dharmapuram Aadeenam Devasthanam.
The ADGP said that preliminary inquiry showed that the recovered Shiva lingam could be the one that went missing from the Tirukuvalai temple but a decision in this regard would be taken only on the basis of evidence gathered during the investigation.
Thanjavur was the capital of the eminent Chola Empire. Valuable emerald lingams are found in the seven Shiva temples at Thiruvarur, Vedaranyam, Thirukuvalai, Thirukkaravasal, Thirunallar, Nagapattinam and Thiruvaimur around the city.
