1. Ancient Ganesha Deity Stolen in Shimla

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entering Rohru valley," said Thakur. The thieves managed to steal the Deity in

spite of the presence of a guard at night. "The professional manner in which

the theft was carried out indicates it could be the handiwork of an

international gang of Deity smugglers," said another police official here. The

state language, art and culture department has described the Deity as an

important heritage piece built in the 10th century. "It isn't possible to

ascertain the value of the Ganesha Deity. It has caused great loss to the

temple, besides hurting the religious feelings of the hill folk in the region,"

said Hari Chand Sharma, the chief priest of the temple. Located by the winding

crystal clear Pabbar river, the scenic Hatkoti temple dedicated to Goddess

Durga is an important and ancient religious spot in the mid hills of Himachal

Pradesh. Temples in the state have in the past few years become a soft target

for smugglers. Since 1990, around 20 Deities have been stolen from various

places

in the state. The state government has registered 200 Hindu and Buddhist

temples, besides 300 Deities also. But this is thought to be only a fraction of

the state's temples heritage, which often remains unguarded.SOURCE: Hindu Press

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