Fearing Wrath Of Goddess, Grandson Of Priest Who Stole Dhroupathi Amman Idol To Return It To Madurai Temple

The grandson of a temple priest, who had stolen a 700-year-old idol of goddess Dhroupathi Amman, has revealed its whereabouts behind a wall in the house of his grandfather, and the same his now been recovered and will soon be returned to the temple in Madurai’s Melur, reports India Today.

The deity’s idol was stolen by Karuppasamy in 1915 after a spat with his fellow priest. Although the theft was reported to the British colonial police at the time, it was never located, until now.

The grandson, 60-year-old Murugesan, discovered the location of the statue after he became suspicious of his grandfather always praying before the same wall at the house. He decided to reveal its whereabouts six months ago so that it could be returned to the temple; he attributes misfortunes that have befallen generations of the family to the act of stealing the goddess’s idol.

The statue, which stands at 1.5 feet, has now been recovered and will finally make its way back to the 800-year-old temple during the annual festival which is to take place next month.