Puri: A series of brazen thefts at multiple ancient temples in Odisha’s Puri district has shocked devotees while raising alarms over the security of religious sites in the region.
The incidents, reported over over the past few days, saw miscreants breaking into at least six shrines under the cover of night and making off with valuable gold and silver ornaments adorning the deities, as well as cash from donation boxes (hundi). The affected temples are Adangei temple at Solapur under Gop police limits, Narayani temple at Nagapur, Mahabir temple at Nagapur, Gelabai temple at Netapur, Bimala temple at Malisahi and Harishadeb temple at Padmapada.
According to sources, over Rs 2 lakh in cash and gold ornaments were looted from donation boxes of the temple at Solapur and the deity’s silver eye, crown, and nose were stolen from Narayani temple at Nagapur. Silver ornaments were also looted from Mahabir temple at Nagapur.
The thefts were detected early in the morning when priests and devotees arrived for daily rituals. The repeated thefts has fuelled suspicions of an organised gang operating in the area, with devotees expressing deep outrage over the desecration of sacred spaces.
Police along scientific teams reached the spots on Thursday and began a preliminary investigation. CCTV footage from nearby areas are being examined to identify the culprits and recover the stolen valuables. Security has also been tightened around major temples, and police patrolling has been intensified to prevent thefts.
