CHENNAI: Chances of
getting back the 11th
century bronze statue
believed to be that of
great
Chola king Rajaraja I
from a private museum in
Ahmedabad brightened
after a high-level team
from Tamil Nadu, led by
school education
minister
Thangam Thennarasu,
made a direct
representation to
Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi and
museum authorities in
this regard.
A day after calling on
Modi and apprising him
of the significance and
sensitivities attached
to the Chola statue, the
team visited the
Calico Museum of
Textiles on Tuesday
and handed over a letter
written by chief
minister
M Karunanidhi,
requesting the museum
authorities to "gift"
the statue to the state.
With Tamil Nadu set to
celebrate later this
month the millennium of
the world famous 'Brahadeeswarar
Temple' (Big Temple)
built by Rajaraja I,
there has been a popular
demand that the
government should get
back the statue from the
museum, managed by
Sarabhai Foundation
- a charitable trust.
The bronze statue, which
according to temple
inscriptions was made by
Thennavan Moovendha
Velan - the chief
administrative officer
of the Big Temple -
during the lifetime of
Rajaraja I (circa 1010
AD), was acquired in
1940s by trust founder
Gautam Sarabhai. A
statue of his queen,
Lokamadevi, is also a
prized possession of the
museum.
The team, which also
comprised state tourism
secretary
V Irai Anbu,
renowned archaeologist
Dr R Nagaswamy and
historian
Kudavayil
Balasubramaniyan,
met Sarabhai
Foundation's managing
trustee Gita Sarabhai
and made a direct
request, besides seeking
Modi's help to resolve
the issue.
Calico Museum director
D S Mehta told
The Times of
India that "the team
from Tamil Nadu met our
managing trustee and
gave a letter written by
the chief minister.
However, we've asked
them to give us some
evidences in writing to
prove that the statue is
that of the Rajaraja
Chola."
"Once they provide us
evidence by
archaeologists, we will
place it before our
trustees and consultants
for discussion and take
a decision. Unless and
until they give the
evidence in writing, we
cannot comment on the
issue," he said
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