Emerald Shiva Linga worth crores of rupees goes missing from temple in Tamil Nadu

Mumbai: An emerald Shiva Linga has gone missing from the locker of the Thiyagaraja Swamy Temple in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu.

The Shiva Linga, which was kept in temple locker, is reportedly worth several crores, a Times of India report suggests.

Since the priest and a temple staff were entrusted with the responsibility of the abhishekam of the Shiva Linga, they had copies of the locker key. They would take out the Linga from the locker twice a day for the daily rituals.

But on October 9, when the two arrived, they were shocked to see the locker open. They immediately informed the superintendent of the temple, who in turn lodged a complaint with the police.

The temple dedicated to Lord Thiyagaraja or Somaskanda, a form of Lord Shiva, is under the management of the Thirukkuvalai Dharmapuram Adheenam.

Three special teams have been deployed to probe the theft.