இது சிலைத் திருடன் என்கிற பெயரில் தமிழில் வெளியாகி உள்ளது. புத்தகக் கண்காட்சியில் கிடைக்கும்!
He came to India. He saw the wealthy country. He came and looted everything. He saw statues with huge ****. He felt those statues to be placed in his bedroom rather than temples of India. He taken those as well.
This is how my history teacher taught me someone’s invasion on India in a Government school in Pudukkottai. This explanation, at that age, engrossed the class room with surplus laughter. After I completed my studies and got a job, I used to read history again. I felt, my history teacher has done something to me, not he was supposed to do.
Probably, that type of history teachers are every where in Indian schools, which is why, smuggling of idols doesn’t sound like regretful to my society. I have no regrets to say this even if I come from a teacher’s family and I like teaching as well.
When Gods came home (It may be Pongal, Deepavali, Krishna Jayanti, Onam), our house is adorned to welcome them, feed them thrice before they leave. This is just a house. VJ starts this book from a temple perspective. How pattar-s takes care of the thirumeni-s (urchava bronzes) with devotion.
We became totally ignorant of our culture, which may be due to current political scenario or due to teachers like I said in the beginning.
This book anxiously portrays such mass looting effort of our revered icons.
It explains the interest of enthusiasts and their captivating efforts to retrieve the idols.
It shows how ignorant of our bureaucrats of Police, idol wing, foreign missions.
It shows how museums and thieves agree together to utilize the corroded Indian system and peoples’ ignorance for looting.
I’m filled with mixed emotions after reading about the hand-cut Nataraja. How the idol was taken care at temple and how these thieves mishandle it for money.
No punishment in my country for wrong-doings. So such recovering efforts by enthusiasts are divine actions. What else we can say? When entire bureaucrats, museums, commerce and every other entity act in favor of thieves, we are hopeful about divine powers, at last. Thanks to the VJ and his team.
I sincerely recommend fellow readers to read this book and spread the word. It is their home, though it is full of thieves. They should come back.
The Idol Thief
Author: S. Vijay Kumar
Publisher: Juggernaut
சிலைத் திருடன்
பதிப்பு: கிழக்கு பதிப்பகம்
கடைசி பெஞ்ச் 