Melakasakudy

Melakasakudy is a revenue village in the Karaikal taluk of Puducherry District. It is situated to the west of Karaikal town.

Temple
Hanuman (Met Museum)
Narasimha (Met Museum)

An ancient Varatharaja Perumal temple is present in the village.

Idol theft

Eight antique idols belonging to the temple were stolen sometime between 1959 and 1962. The Nataraja idol was found 15 days later and reinstalled. A volunteer-collective India Pride Project has traced the remaining idols to few museums/institutions in the Western world.[1]

Similar idol theft was reported from the Tantondreeswara temple in the nearby Nedungadu, beyond the Nattar River in 1959.[2]

S.No. Deity Stolen Idol traced to Country Current status More Details
1 Rama Unknown
2 Sita Unknown
3 Lakshmana Unknown
4 Hanuman Metropolitan Museum of Art United States Unknown [3]
5 Narasimha Metropolitan Museum of Art United States Unknown [4]
6 Chakratalvar Unknown
7 Thirumangai Alvar Unknown
8 Ambal Unknown

References
  • "Karaikal District - Revenue Administration". Karaikal District. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  1. Dominique, Bosco (23 December 2022). "Karaikal temple lodges complaint six decades after 8 antique idols stolen". Times of India. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  2. Dominique, Bosco (9 February 2023). "Karaikal temple priest lodges complaint six decades after two antique idols were stolen". Times of India. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  3. "Hanuman Conversing". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. c. 1100. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  4. "Yoga Narasimha, Vishnu's Man-Lion Incarnation". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. c. 1200. Retrieved 11 September 2023.


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