Temples: history, architecture and distribution

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Three priceless panchaloha idols found in TN</b>

Cuddalore, July 22 : Police and revenue officials recovered three priceless ''panchaloha'' idols at Thangavel colony near Kaattumannar Koil in this district today.

Police said the idols, each weighing about 100 kg, were recovered when a house-owner dug a pit for building a septic tank.

The recovered idols included a three ft tall Amman, a 12 ft Nataraja and a three ft Siva-Parvathi-Ganesh, police said.

Police said a team, led by the Kaattumannar Koil Tahsildar, recovered the idols, on being informed by the villagers.

Workers engaged in the septic tank work stumbled upon the Amman idol at a depth of three ft and on being informed, revenue and police officials found the other two idols, police said.

Villagers said the idols could have belonged to the 200-year-old Anantheeswarar temple and could have been buried to hide them from the Mughals. They said the Nataraja idol could be bigger than the famous one at Chidambaram.

All three idols were being kept at the Tahsildar office at Kaattumannar Koil and local people were making a beeline to have ''darshan.'' Police had a tough time controlling the crowds.
UNI
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