Australia to Return Three Stolen Tamil Nadu Temple Antiquities to India on July 9, 2026

Key facts

• Australia has agreed to return three stolen ancient antiquities to India, comprising a six-headed Karttikeya, a Nandi, and a ceremonial trishul.
• The nine-century-old Karttikeya sculpture belongs to the Naganathaswamy Temple at Manambadi, which was built during the reign of the Chola king Rajendra Chola I.
• The Karttikeya idol depicts Shanmukha, also known as Murugan, and stands approximately 130 centimetres tall.
• The Nandi sculpture, carved from a single block of stone and dated between the 13th and 16th centuries, originates from the Kailasanathar Temple in Tiruvarur district.
• The Nandi idol is valued at approximately ₹4 crore by the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
• The third artefact is a late Chola period ceremonial trishul topped with a figure of Goddess Bhadrakali from the Sri Kasiviswanathaswamy Temple.
• The repatriation request was processed under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty following First Information Reports (FIRs) filed in 2016.
• As a reciprocal gesture, India is returning the remains of an Australian First Nations ancestor held at the Government Museum in Chennai.