The idols of Padmanabha Swamy Temple near Karakavalasa village of Srikakulam district were found vandalized last week. Though the incident occurred a few days ago, a complaint by the temple priest was lodged only on Sunday after the news of the vandalism went viral on social media.
As per reports, the idols of Saraswati Devi, Mahisasura Mardhini and Lord Ganesh on the temple premises were found vandalized when the priest went to perform the daily puja. However, when he reported the matter to the committee they did not take any action.
Moreover, no CCTVs were installed in the temple despite being directed by the State government, reports suggest. The priest was forced to approach the police directly after the issue started to make rounds on social media.
As per the officials, this may not be a case of burglary as no valuable items from the temple are missing.
Police launch an investigation
SP Amit Bardhar of Srikakulam, DSP M Mahendra along with others visited the scene to collect evidence.
“We have registered a case. A notice had been issued to management of the temple for installing CCTV cameras in January. But they failed to do so. We are collecting clues to identify the accused,” said Mahendra.
The temple that is located on a hilltop is visited by devotees only once a year during the Sankranti season. On the other days, only the priest opens the temple for puja and aartis.
Increased cases of theft and attacks on temples
In yet another attack on Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu, the rock-cut mountain temples on top of Aththri Hills in Alvarkurichi in Tirunelveli district had been vandalized by Islamists recently. We reported earlier how a temple in Tamil Nadu was robbed of the seven brass kalasams placed atop the temple towers.
As many as four temples have been looted in a month in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur. From temple kalasam to looting donation boxes, the cases of temple theft are on a rise. Temples in Karnataka and Delhi too reported theft and vandalism in the past month.