The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stated that only diplomatic efforts could bring back the ‘Nassak’ diamond, which was looted by the British from Trimbakeshwar Temple in Nashik.
The ASI was replying to LalitaShinde trustee of Trimbakeshwar Temple, who had requested the department to bring back the diamond. Lalita, who is leading a single woman’s fight to bring back the diamond, said that the diamond belonged to the TrimbakeshwarDiety but had been looted by the British about 200 years back.
“The Nassak diamond, also called ‘Eye of God Shiva’, is an emerald cut blue-white stone weighing 43.38 carats, and was mined from the Amaragiri mine located in Mahbubnagar in the 15 Century, the rough was 89 carat which was cut and belonged to the Mysore kingdom,” Shinde said.
It changed hands many times and was cut further to its present size of 43.38 carats. Now it belongs to Robert Mouawad museum in Lebanon, a private institution.
