HISTORY & CULTURE

‘Bring back India’s Nassak diamond from Lebanon’

PTI
NASHIK, MARCH 25, 2018 07:58 IST
UPDATED: MARCH 25, 2018 08:00 IST
A trustee of the Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust near here has approached the National
Archives of India (NAI) in Delhi, seeking to bring back the blue Nassak diamond, which once
reportedly graced the crown of Lord Shiva idol at the famous Trimbakeshwar temple.
Lalita Shinde, trustee, said the diamond, which was allegedly looted by several rulers, is kept at
a private museum in Lebanon.
Ms. Shinde, who has earlier written letters to former President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, among others, visited
the NIA in Delhi on Thursday and submitted a memorandum.
The blue Nassak diamond, also called ‘eye’ of Lord Shiva, weighed 43.38 carats or 8,676 gram
when it was found in the Golconda mines of Kollur and originally cut in India. It adorned the
Shiva Temple in the 15th century, she claimed.
“I had written letters to the President, PM and ministers concerned, but did not get any
response. Therefore, I decided to approach the NAI. My demand is that the government should
get back the diamond from the Lebanon museum as soon as possible,” Ms. Shinde said. She
appealed to the experts and historians to throw more light on the diamond.

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