Koraput/Nandapur: When people across the globe were celebrating the ‘World Heritage Day’ Friday, residents of Kecha village under Nandapur block of Koraput district found a revered ancient Jain statue stolen from the village temple.
The incident not only sparked concern among the villagers and local authorities, but it also made the worst fear of theft and smuggling of ancient artefacts in the state by organised syndicates come true. If sources are to be believed, these prowling syndicates are making a killing from the proceeds of the crime, as these rare and ancient artefacts often find way to international auction houses.
Meanwhile, after the villagers found the idol, revered as an ‘Ishta Devi, missing from the temple, they lodged a complaint at the Sadar police station in Koraput and submitted a memorandum to district Collector V Keerthi Vasan, demanding immediate action. The Collector assured that police will look into the matter and arrest the culprits.
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Locals said that the idol, believed to be of high archaeological value, was stolen late Thursday night by unidentified thieves who were suspected to have used a multi-utility vehicle to arrive at the place. This was based on the tyre marks found at the spot where the idol had been kept. They said the heavy stone idol is estimated to be worth more than Rs 2 crore in the grey market.
IIC Runu Majhi of Sadar police station said that a case (No. 64/25) has been registered following the receipt of the complaint. He said the police are working on various leads to trace the idol and the lifters.
Locals alleged that despite multiple theft cases reported across various police stations in the district, the police have yet to apprehend any suspect or recover the stolen artefacts. They claimed that professional lifters are targeting ancient stone carvings and heritage icons in rural parts of Koraput, posing a serious threat to the district’s cultural legacy.
Notably, in a similar case reported August 4, 2022, three stone idols were stolen from the revered site of Budha Bhairavi shrine near Raniduduma in Nandapur.
Though a complaint had been filed in that regard at the Nandapur police station, neither the idol nor the culprits have been found so far.
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Across Koraput, numerous ancient idols are found lying unprotected in open areas of villages, worshipped by locals without adequate security. The district administration, temple trust boards, endowment and archaeology department have often faced criticism for their failure to safeguard these heritage assets.
This has triggered increasing frustration among the locals who warned that if swift and concrete measures were not taken, historically significant idols meant for research and conservation could slowly vanish from the region. They have urged the police and administration to intensify efforts to nab the culprits and protect the district’s cultural treasures.
PNN
