January 11, 2017
And nine rare antiques, including two in Andhra Pradesh, were stolen in 2016.
History buffs will be relieved to hear that a Nandi idol stolen from Veerabhadraswamy temple in Motupalle village of Chinaganjam mandal of Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, was recovered by police on December 18 last year.
But another Nandi idol, stolen from the Kumararama Bhimeswara Swamy temple at Samalkot in East Godavari district, is yet to be traced.
Other antiques stolen last year include a stone Ganesha from the Ramalingeswar temple complex at Avani in Mulbagali Taluk of Kolar district in Karnataka; a stone image from the Bhairavbaba temple, Dantewada and two stone sculptures of Bhairav from the ruined temple at Bastar in Jiyapara, Chhattisgarh.
Shockingly, pillagers took away an entire iron cannon from the historic Kasa Fort in Raigad, Maharashtra, on December 5.
“The problem is down to inadequate security. Thefts at museums and other protected places are few. Also, if staff are responsible, they must be punished. Police investigations are on in all cases,” an ASI official said.
He finds the theft of the iron cannon from Raigad particularly troubling. “How could they have lifted such a heavy metal piece from the fort? It’s a planned operation.”
Weak legislation under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972 and punishment of just six months have failed to curb the crimes. There are over 3,650 ancient monuments and historic sites under the ASI’s jurisdiction across the country.
30 ASI artefacts missing, not one found
ASI does not have pictures of antiquities that were stolen, all it does is lodged plaints.
From left: A Shiva-Parvati idol from Rajasthan, dagger with ivory handle from the Indian War Memorial Museum, Bengal, and a black Nandi in Karnataka; all missing.
The stolen items have remained untraced. These are from monuments under the purview of the ASI, and do not account for art theft that takes place elsewhere.
In some cases there are no photographs of the stolen antiquities, which makes investigation and recovery difficult. In 2011, Andhra Pradesh recorded two thefts, Madhya Pradesh one; and in 2010, West Bengal had one theft and Rajasthan two.
The Archaeological Survey of India has lodged FIRs with the police but barring one case where partial recovery was made, the other items have vanished.
Karnataka accounts for the largest number of thefts during the five-year period with four items each stolen in 2013, 2014 and one in 2015.
Karnataka accounts for the largest number of thefts during the five-year period with four items each stolen in 2013, 2014 and one in 2015.
In Andhra Pradesh, thieves stole a Nandi sculpture from an ancient Sivalayam in the Vishnu and Mukteswara Swamy temple complex in Peddamudiyam in Kadapa district on the intervening night of May 17/18, 2011. There is no photograph available of the sculpture.
A stone bud portion (flower decoration) was knocked away from the mahamandapam of the Soumyanatha Swamy temple, Nandaluru, in Kadapa district on June 3, 2011, and an FIR was lodged.So far, both the priceless items haven’t been traced.
in 2015, a schist stone Yaksha sculpture was stolen from the Bhimeshwara temple at Neelgunda of Davanagere district in Karnataka as was a sculpture of Trivikrama of Trivikrama (locally known as Bali) from the Varahanatha temple, Jajpur, Odisha.
In 2014, Bihar had one robbery. In 2013, Chhattisgarh one; in 2012 Assam had one major theft, Tamil Nadu one, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi one each.
In Madhya Pradesh, thieves stole a sculptural panel of Dashavatara, including a figure of Vishnu made of sand stone from Dharmarajeshawar temple and Buddhist caves in Chandwasa village of Garoth tehsil of Mandsour district in the intervening night of September 6/7, 2011.
Police recovered two parts of the panel, but the figure of Vishnu is missing. No theft has been reported in Telangana state and other states.
“Antiquities theft is the work of organised gangs. These priceless articles fetch huge prices in the international market. We have to protect our art, culture and history. Such thefts are treated as per IPC. New legislation is in the offing,’’ a senior ASI official told Deccan Chronicle.
Three silver antiquity objects, Alam Panja, were stolen from the religious gallery at the Hazarduari Palace, Museum, in Murshidabad, West Bengal in 2010.
A dagger with ivory handle was stolen from the Indian War Memorial Museum, Red Fort, New Delhi on December 21, 2012. It remains untraced to date.
There are at present more than 3,650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance under Archaeological Society of India.
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