A 16th-century bronze murti of Saint Tirumankai Alvar, which was taken from Tamil Nadu, is all set to be returned to India from the UK. The statue has been a part of the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. This is amazing news, right? But did you know who Saint Tirumankai Alvar actually was? Scroll down to know more about this.
Who Was Saint Tirumankai Alvar?
Thirumangai Alvar or Tirumankai Alvar was the last of the 12 Alvar saints of South India. These saints were known for their affiliation with the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Saint Tirumankai Alvar is also considered one of the most intellectual Alvars. He was a saint-poet and initially worked as a military commander under the Cholas. According to a report by Moneycontrol, a 500-year-old bronze statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar was taken from a temple in Tamil Nadu and has been in the UK ever since.
The 57.5 cm tall bronze murti has been part of the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford since 1967, where it was displayed publicly. Reportedly, the museum acquired the statue after purchasing it from a private collector, Dr J R Belmont. The bronze statue came under scrutiny in November 2019. Apparently, a French scholar alerted the museum to research indicating that a photograph of the murti had been taken in 1957 at the Soundararajaperumal Temple in Thadikombu village in Tamil Nadu. This photograph suggested that the statue might have originally come from the temple.
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Statue Is Now Returning Back To It’s Home
According to Moneycontrol, the findings indicated that the Tirumankai Alvar murti might have originally belonged to the temple. The museum in Oxford then re-examined its records and started an investigation into the matter. The museum also contacted the Indian High Commission on December 16, 2019, asking for more information and expressing its willingness to return the bronze statue.
The issue came into the limelight in February 2020 when an executive officer of the temple lodged a police complaint stating that the original bronze statue had been replaced with a replica. After that, the Indian High Commission formally sought the return of the 500-year-old statue on March 3, 2020. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) also requested further scientific examination of the statue.
The Ashmolean Museum’s director, Dr Xa Sturgis, also mentioned that the object will be returned to India. He thanked Indian authorities and scholars for helping trace the origins of the Tirumankai Alvar murti.
It’s good news, isn’t it? The murti is finally returning home to its temple!
Cover Image Courtesy: @SheetalPronamo/X