Days after the centuries-old idol went missing from a Guhawati temple, the Bardeuri Samaj and the Ugratara temple management committee at a meeting held under the presidentship of Doloi Parameswar Deva Sarma today decided to install a new Ashtadhatu (eight metals) idol of Goddess Ugratara at the temple.
Almost forty days after the main Astadhatu idol of Goddess Ugratara, that was inside the ‘Saktipeeth’ Ugratara Temple, was stolen from the heart of the Guwahati city, in the Uzan Bazar area, the police have not been able to locate the stolen idol so far.
The thieves in wee hours of November 16 had looted and vandalized the temple and took away the main idol besides valuables and offerings. Though the police had earlier successfully nabbed all the culprits, were unable to recover the stolen items.
According to the management of the temple, the idol will be brought from Kolkata. Members of the management committee will visit Kolkata during the first week of January.
“It is not proper to keep the temple without the idol and hence today’s meeting unanimously decided to install another idol. We have formed a committee to look into various aspects including the cost of making an idol. Only goldsmiths of Kolkata, Benaras and south India are into Ashtadhatu idol-making and we plan to install the idol by next Magh-Fagun,” Kailash Sarma, secretary of the temple management committee, said.
“We will also visit Varanasi and see if anyone can sculpt the Ashtadhatu idol of Goddess Tara,” said a member of the temple management committee.
The temple is likely to get the new idol before January 15, the day which is celebrated as Magh Bihu in Assam. It is the Assam celebration of Makar Sankranti.
The Ugratara Temple, dedicated to Goddess Tara, is located in the western side of Jor Pukhury tanks in the heart of the city in the Latasil locality. The idol has been worshipped in the temple since 1044 AD and the temple is revered as one of the 52 holy places of pilgrimage for the Hindus in the country.
Last month apart from this centuries-old idol, five other temples in Assam were vandalised and robbed within a few days.