On the intervening night of 8th February and 9th February, unidentified miscreants broke into a 1000-year-old Lord Vishnu temple located in Gopalnagar village of Sironj tehsil of Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh. They deliberately broke ancient and newer stone idols of Lord Vishnu inside the sanctum. The temple, where the incident happened, is protected by the state archaeology department. It holds deep religious and historical significance for several surrounding villages.
According to locals, the temple is believed to be nearly a millennium old. It has been a major centre of faith in the region. The vandalism has triggered widespread anger among villagers and Hindu organisations. They have accused the administration of failing to secure an archaeology protected religious site.
Three locks broken to reach the sanctum
The incident came to light on the morning of 9th February when Monu Sharma, the younger brother of the temple’s chief priest, reached the temple. He found the lock of the main gate broken. Upon entering the temple complex, he discovered that the locks of both inner sanctums had also been smashed.
Notably, the chief priest had locked the sanctums and the temple after evening Aarti on Sunday. The idols were vandalised after everyone left the temple premises.
Inside, the ancient stone idol of Lord Vishnu was found broken specifically at the feet and left inside the sanctum. In the adjacent sanctum, a second idol of Lord Vishnu was also found to be broken, specifically at the feet. The severed feet of the newer idol were found placed in the other sanctum. According to media reports, the miscreants placed both damaged idols together inside a single sanctum before fleeing the spot.
Other idols inside the temple complex were also damaged. Items kept inside the chest containing the deity’s garments were found scattered across the floor, hinting towards the possibility that the miscreants might have attempted to find something valuable to steal, as the idols in the temple are not adorned with gold or silver ornaments. Furthermore, there is no donation box in the temple.
According to the villagers, several years ago, a portion of the ancient Lord Vishnu idol had suffered some damage. At that time, a new sanctum was constructed within the temple premises, and a new idol was installed. The original idol was retained at its place. On the night of the incident, the accused targeted both the ancient and the newer idols.
Villagers and Hindu organisations launched protest
The police were informed about the incident. As the news spread, a large number of villagers and members of Hindu organisations gathered at the temple premises. They blocked the Gopalnagar Deekankheda road and demanded that the accused be arrested within 48 hours. They accused the administration of negligence in securing the temple despite the fact that it is a protected site under the archaeology department.
Police from Deepankheda police station, along with SDOP Sonu Dabar, reached the spot. VHP leaders Rakesh Saxena and Jagdish Shakya also arrived in the village as tensions escalated. Sironj SDM Harishankar Vishwakarma later reached the site along with additional police force. They assured the protesters that there would be a thorough investigation and swift action, after which the road blockade was lifted.
A dog squad team from Vidisha reached the temple later in the day and carried out an on-site investigation. Fingerprint experts were also deployed to examine the crime scene.
Speaking to the media, SDOP Sonu Dabar said police were probing the matter from all angles and that the accused would be arrested soon.
