Nashik: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said that there are no laws enabling return of the “Nassak” diamond that was looted from Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik 200 years ago and is currently lying in a private museum in Lebanon. The ASI said that this leaves only the diplomatic option to retrieve the diamond.
This was ASI’s reply to Trimbakeshwar Devastha-nam trustee Lalita Shinde on July 13.
The letter was received on Monday. Shinde had taken up the issue of return of the diamond with the government, and had written to the ASI to bring back the diamond however the ASI replied that the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act 1972 had become operational only from 1976, without retrospective effect. Hence, only diplomatic effort by the government, particularly through the ministry of external affairs, could be initiated for antiquities that went out of India prior to this period. The British East India Company stole the diamond which, after shifting to various treasuries, is now part of the private collection of Robert Mouawad museum in Lebanon, Shinde said.
The Nassak Blue Diamond.
Bringing back the “Nassak” diamond which once graced the Lord Shiva idol at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, is likely to become a diplomatic affair with the diamond reported to now belong to a private museum in Lebanon. The diamond is among the costliest stones in the world. It is also known as the “Eye of God Shiva” and was mined in the 13th or 14th century from the Amargiri mines near Mehboobnagar of erstwhile Mysore.
Shinde said that her lawyer would be filing a PIL in the Supreme Court in August to appeal that the diamond be brought back. Trimbakeshwar is an ancient temple and one of the 12 jyotirlings in the world. It was renovated during the Peshwa period and in 1725, Nana Peshwa had donated a valuable crown to the deity which was made of many costly gemstones in addition to the “Nassak” diamond.
