Priests and religious leaders have sought the documentation of idols in ancient temples across the state to thwart stealing.
The state has nearly 20,000 temples, including 12,000 temples that are under the endowment department. According to C.S. Rangarajan, hereditary priest at the famous Chilkur Balaji temple, many temples in the state do not have proper documentation. Some temples in urban and semi-urban areas might have proper documentation, but what about ancient temples in rural areas, he said.
“All details like age, weight, size and photographs of the idols have to be documented and should be uploaded on the net. The idols, some of which are more than 300 years old, are targeted by smugglers to sell them in museums overseas. If the data is available on the internet, smugglers cannot create fake records,” he said speaking to the media.
Rangarajan, the chief priest said that the Chilkur Balaji temple itself is a victim. Five utsav murthis were stolen in 2000 and investigators are yet to trace the idols. Mr Rangarajan said that they lacked documentation, hampering the probe. The need of the hour is capturing all data pertaining to utsav murthis in ancient temples in rural areas, he said.
Meanwhile, the endowment department officials stated that security measures like installation of CCTVs and fencing have been done in temples. These steps have curbed stealing, they added. Gangu Bhanumurthy, Telangana Mathaika Archaka Sangam president, said that thefts in temples have come down in the last 15 years due to increased security measures. He urged the endowment department and the police to protect temples in rural areas.
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