Buddha statues and figurines of Pala Period were stolen form the Patna Museum

[Guest guest]

Every one must had seen / read the news of theft at

Patna Museum. For those who had not seen here i am

giving details.

 

00000000000000000000000000

 

18 statues, figurines of Pala period stolen from Patna

Museum

 

Zee News , Patna, Sept 26: A total of 18 Buddha

statues and figurines of the 8th-9th century 'Pala

Period' were on Tuesday found stolen from the Patna

Museum, a treasure-trove of metal and stone sculptures

of the Mauryan period. However, the urns containing

the relics of the Buddha are safe. He heist came to

light this morning when the museum staff opened the

'bronze gallery' housing 'Ashtdhatu' (alloy of eight

metals) artifacts after it had closed on Sunday

evening, Director of Museums of Bihar Sahdev Kumar

said. As the museum is closed on Mondays, the theft

came to light only this morning. The stolen articles

included a foot high 'Ashtdhatu' statue of the Buddha

and the rest between four and six inches. The statue

and figurines crafted in 'Ashtdhatu' had been

recovered during excavations at Kurkihar in Gaya

district decades ago. Asked about the monetary value

of these articles in the international market, Kumar

said, " How can one fix any value to the invaluable.

Those were invaluable possessions. Their cost may run

into a few crores of rupees or a few hundred crores in

the international market...Nobody knows. " He said four

statues that were to be sent to Belgium for a festival

a few months from now and kept in the same gallery,

were untouched. It was reliably learnt that the

insurance companies had quoted a premium of about Rs

50 crore for insuring the four statues, including that

of the Buddha in 'Bhumisparsha' (touching the mother

earth) posture. Police said the thieves, whose number

could not be ascertained, climbed to the first floor

from the northern side of the building, sliced two

bars in the window using a saw, bent those to gain

access to the gate of the 'bronze gallery' where they

broke open the lock and decamped with the statues.

" The statues were some of the most cherished symbols

of national heritage, " Kumar said. The locks were

shown to the media persons at the museum. While the

Inspector General (headquarters) Anil Sinha felt that

the complicity of the museum staff could not be ruled

out, Kumar thought otherwise. " The theft occurred on

Sunday night after the charge of the museum was handed

over to the five-member police team. Every night the

charge of the museum is given to them and no no museum

staff is there, " he said. Today's theft was a cause

of embarrassment to the state government as the

Singaporean Minister of State for External Affairs

Balaji Sadashiv was scheduled to visit the museum.

Sadashiv and his six- member team had to cancel the

visit due to the heist. Asked if he had informed the

CBI or the Archaeological Survey of India about the

incident, Kumar said " it is not my job. The state

minister of culture and the concerned Departmental

Secretary took stock of the situation. They must have

reported the matter to the concerned authorities. "

 

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Museum heist: Patna cops groping in the dark

 

[29 Sep, 2006 0048hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK]

 

PATNA: The police are groping in dark in the Patna

Museum theft case. Eighteen precious idols were

stolen from the museum on Sunday night. In the past

two days, Patna police, while identifying few local

gangs, have also picked up street junkies for

interrogation in connection with the museum heist. On

Thursday, the local police spent the day in the museum

in connection with the investigation. The police also

spoke to museum staff including the additional

director of Patna museum to get details about antiques

and their records. Although the museum reopened on

Thursday after two days of closure, there were no

visitors. Only two galleries — stone age and

terracotta — were open to the public. The gallery

containing the holy relic ashes of Lord Buddha also

remained closed. Only cops and a new set of security

guards were inside. Inquiries have revealed that the

museum officials were casual about the security of

precious antiques. The weekly chart of deputing

officials in the galleries shows 'irregularities' .

 

00000000000000000000000000000000

 

fingerprint Sleuths Recover Prints from Crime Spot

[Patna Daily News : September 30, 2006 ]

 

Fingerprint experts, on Friday at Patna Museum,

collected nearly three dozen 'suspicious' imprints

from various areas that were used by the thieves who,

on last Monday, broke into the building on Buddha

Marg and disappeared with 18 rare statues worth crores

belonging to the Pala era.

of the Fingerprint Bureau D. N. Chaubey said

several fingerprints were collected during a virtual

microscopic combing of the area with two from the

door, three from the broken case containing some of

the missing idols, and 18 from the broken window and

door glasses.

 

A report is expected sometime after Dussehra,

officials said. Meanwhile, though open, certain areas

of the museum remained out of bound for the visitors

pending further investigation. J. P. Agrawal, a museum

official, said he was pained by the fact that the

visitors were not allowed in some sections and hoped

the stolen idols would be recovered soon and normalcy

restored at one of the oldest museums in the

nation.Earlier, a number of Youth Congress activists

burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar near

Kargil Chowk demanding his resignation in the wake of

the theft at Patna Museum.

 

 

=========================================================

Basanta Maharjan

GPO No. 8975, EPC 5273

kathmandu, Nepal.

Phone No. 977-1-4334944 (Residency)

www.basami.com/basantamaharjan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Sir, It is the duty and responsibility of the Central/State Governments to take care of the Museums which are giving memories of our Ancient History ! But, incidents like this proove the inefficiency of the Government Ministries and systems which are not taking adequate measures to control the thefts from Museums ! Basanta Maharjan <maharjan_basanta wrote: Every one must had seen / read the news of theft

atPatna Museum. For those who had not seen here i amgiving details.0000000000000000000000000018 statues, figurines of Pala period stolen from PatnaMuseum Zee News , Patna, Sept 26: A total of 18 Buddhastatues and figurines of the 8th-9th century 'PalaPeriod' were on Tuesday found stolen from the PatnaMuseum, a treasure-trove of metal and stone sculpturesof the Mauryan period. However, the urns containingthe relics of the Buddha are safe. He heist came tolight this morning when the museum staff opened the'bronze gallery' housing 'Ashtdhatu' (alloy of eightmetals) artifacts after it had closed on Sundayevening, Director of Museums of Bihar Sahdev Kumarsaid. As the museum is closed on Mondays, the theftcame to light only this morning. The stolen articlesincluded a foot high 'Ashtdhatu' statue of the Buddhaand the rest between four and six inches. The statueand figurines crafted in

'Ashtdhatu' had beenrecovered during excavations at Kurkihar in Gayadistrict decades ago. Asked about the monetary valueof these articles in the international market, Kumarsaid, "How can one fix any value to the invaluable.Those were invaluable possessions. Their cost may runinto a few crores of rupees or a few hundred crores inthe international market...Nobody knows." He said fourstatues that were to be sent to Belgium for a festivala few months from now and kept in the same gallery,were untouched. It was reliably learnt that theinsurance companies had quoted a premium of about Rs50 crore for insuring the four statues, including thatof the Buddha in 'Bhumisparsha' (touching the motherearth) posture. Police said the thieves, whose numbercould not be ascertained, climbed to the first floorfrom the northern side of the building, sliced twobars in the window using a saw, bent those to gainaccess to the

gate of the 'bronze gallery' where theybroke open the lock and decamped with the statues."The statues were some of the most cherished symbolsof national heritage," Kumar said. The locks wereshown to the media persons at the museum. While theInspector General (headquarters) Anil Sinha felt thatthe complicity of the museum staff could not be ruledout, Kumar thought otherwise. "The theft occurred onSunday night after the charge of the museum was handedover to the five-member police team. Every night thecharge of the museum is given to them and no no museumstaff is there," he said. Today's theft was a causeof embarrassment to the state government as theSingaporean Minister of State for External AffairsBalaji Sadashiv was scheduled to visit the museum.Sadashiv and his six- member team had to cancel thevisit due to the heist. Asked if he had informed theCBI or the Archaeological Survey of India about

theincident, Kumar said "it is not my job. The stateminister of culture and the concerned DepartmentalSecretary took stock of the situation. They must havereported the matter to the concerned authorities. "0000000000000000000000000000000000Museum heist: Patna cops groping in the dark [29 Sep, 2006 0048hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK] PATNA: The police are groping in dark in the PatnaMuseum theft case. Eighteen precious idols werestolen from the museum on Sunday night. In the pasttwo days, Patna police, while identifying few localgangs, have also picked up street junkies forinterrogation in connection with the museum heist. OnThursday, the local police spent the day in the museumin connection with the investigation. The police alsospoke to museum staff including the additionaldirector of Patna museum to get details about antiquesand their records. Although the museum reopened

onThursday after two days of closure, there were novisitors. Only two galleries — stone age andterracotta — were open to the public. The gallerycontaining the holy relic ashes of Lord Buddha alsoremained closed. Only cops and a new set of securityguards were inside. Inquiries have revealed that themuseum officials were casual about the security ofprecious antiques. The weekly chart of deputingofficials in the galleries shows 'irregularities' . 00000000000000000000000000000000fingerprint Sleuths Recover Prints from Crime Spot[Patna Daily News : September 30, 2006 ]Fingerprint experts, on Friday at Patna Museum,collected nearly three dozen 'suspicious' imprintsfrom various areas that were used by the thieves who,on last Monday, broke into the building on Buddha Marg and disappeared with 18 rare statues worth croresbelonging to the Pala era.Director of the Fingerprint Bureau D. N.

Chaubey saidseveral fingerprints were collected during a virtualmicroscopic combing of the area with two from thedoor, three from the broken case containing some ofthe missing idols, and 18 from the broken window anddoor glasses.A report is expected sometime after Dussehra,officials said. Meanwhile, though open, certain areasof the museum remained out of bound for the visitorspending further investigation. J. P. Agrawal, a museumofficial, said he was pained by the fact that thevisitors were not allowed in some sections and hopedthe stolen idols would be recovered soon and normalcyrestored at one of the oldest museums in thenation.Earlier, a number of Youth Congress activistsburnt an effigy of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar nearKargil Chowk demanding his resignation in the wake ofthe theft at Patna Museum.=========================================================Basanta

MaharjanGPO No. 8975, EPC 5273kathmandu, Nepal.Phone No. 977-1-4334944 (Residency)www.basami.com/basantamaharjanSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.

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