Customs Seizes 400-year-old Ganapati Idol in Kanchipuram

The Customs Department seized a more than 400-year-old brass idol of Lord Ganapati from a house in neighbouring Kanchipuram district

In one of the rare seizures made by the Customs Department, its sleuths on Wednesday seized a more than 400-year-old brass idol of Lord Ganapati from a house in Tamil Nadu's Kanchipuram district.

Based on intelligence gathered during examination of an export consignment, Chennai Air Cargo Customs seized a large brass Nritya Ganapati idol about to be exported from a house in Kanchipuram.

The seized idol weighs 130 Kgs and measures 5.25 feet. The seized idol is not registered with the Archaeological Survey of India under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act. The idol was with fine details and was warped by adhering to mythological traditions based on ancient techniques, a press release said.

During the investigation, it emerged that the idol was sent by an exporter from Chennai to Kancheepuram to treat it as per the requirements of the client to facilitate smuggling, the release said. ASI officials, who examined the idol, declared it to be of more than 400 years old, dating to the Vijayanagara-Nayak period based on the iconographic details.

Marks of wear and tear were found on the idol indicating the usage for a long time, the release said, adding seizure of the idol was the largest by the Customs Department.'Nritya' (dancing) Ganapati was regarded as the 15th among the different forms of Lord Ganapati and worshipping this form was believed to give proficiency and success in dance and fine arts. The form of Ganapati was seen mainly as a stone sculpture and the metallic form of Nritya Ganapati of this size was also considered rare, the release said.