Idols ?stolen? from Kashi Vishwanath temple recovered

THE TWO missing idols known as ?Deeplaxmi? made of ?ashtadhatu? and stolen from the garbh grih (sanctum sanctorum) of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple, have been found from the storage of the temple trust, a government body.

THE TWO missing idols known as ‘Deeplaxmi’ made of ‘ashtadhatu’ and stolen from the garbh grih (sanctum sanctorum) of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple, have been found from the storage of the temple trust, a government body.

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Chief Executive Officer of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust and Additional Commissioner for Judicial, Murlidhar Dubey, said on Friday, both idols were found in the store of the trust after a minute search. The store was fully packed with temple valuables. Some items would be auctioned in the near future after the approval through the meeting of the temple’s trust executive body.

Dubey added the idols had been shifted from the garbh grih to store six years ago during the tenure of CP Tiwari when he was the executive officer of the trust. The idols were registered in the records as made of brass. He refused to comment whether it was made of ashtdhatu or not.

It was a matter of investigation by metal experts whether it was made of ashtdhatu or brass, he said. It may be noted a devotee from South India had donated two small idols said to be made of ashtdhatu to the temple.