In the second such incident in two days in Madurai, ancient idols, stated to be worth about Rs 20 lakh, were stolen from a 400 year-old Vishnu temple at Naranammalpuram in Tirunelvli district, police said on Wednesday. They said the idols were found missing when the priest of the temple, dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, opened it for morning Pooja on Tuesday morning.
All the doors leading to the sanctum sanctorum were found broken open. The stolen idols included the main procession deity and of Sri Devi, Sri Bhoodevi and Chakkarathalwar.
The temple executive officer said since the main entrance was intact, the burglars must have gained entry into the temple by scaling the wall. Two days ago another temple in the town was burgled. Bureau Report