The Idol Thief

I started working on this to make this into a documentary someday and found about this book while searching on the internet. To be sold at 41Rs. itself is a sad thing about the story which never received it's deserved limelight. Kudos to Mr. Vijay for bringing out such amount of time on such a story. Hopefully someday people will re consider their opinion on Indian artifacts and how a lot of people brought disgrace to the inheritance.

Hats off to Vijay Kumar. The country needs more men like Vijay Kumar. I recently read this book It is amazing, and an eye-opener for me. I have decided to present at least 5 copies of this book to my friends before my birthday this year.

The book is written with a lot of passion and gusto. The writer truly feels for the subject he is writing and one comes to know a lot of the dark world of art theft and art auctions/sale that the layman is not even aware of. The language is simple and easy to understand. Offers great insight into art world. Must read.

Art smuggling and illegal selling is one of the major international crime. This book deals specifically about the idols stolen from temples. Author has researched the archives well about the missing idols using his personal time and resources. Then followed up with museums and art galleries regarding the provenances, coordinated with like minded persons and law enforcement.How can one review about such passionate and dedicated work. Great - just read it.

The book opens the readers' eyes to the rot in Indian law enforcement system and how only heroics by few passionate individuals save the day for us. By the end of the book you would want to know more about the Suthamalli and Sripuranthan villages and the temples in question.The author narrates the story/real events so passionately that things like style and diction matter less. Half way through the book things get somewhat tiresome. Had a professional editor helped the author in proof reading, style and diction, the book could have been a lot more fun to read than what it already is.

I feel ashamed of those fellow Indians who helped carry out this art theft but I feel overwhelmingly proud of the Author and all the people who helped him to take a stand and fight out the nexus of big fat corrupt smugglers. Bravo!!

Worth reading to understand how are antiquities have been stolen from Bharat and sucessive govt for past 70 years have been irresponsible and lazy in retrieving it.