Gold ornaments worth Rs 30 Lakh stolen from Bhubaneswar Tarini Temple

In a disconcerting incident, robbers targeted a temple in the Nayapalli locality of Bhubaneswar, stealing gold ornaments and sacred items worth nearly Rs 30 lakh. The theft took place late last night and came to the fore early Monday morning.

Also Read: Odisha turning 'unsafe' for religious sites: 12 temples 'looted' within 100 days

Among the stolen items were the gold eyes, nose ring, and crown of Goddess Tarini, along with the brass Anthua Gopal idol of Lord Jagannath and a seven-faced traditional lamp. The brazen act of looting the deities themselves has triggered public outrage and a swift police response.

An official complaint has been lodged at the Nayapalli Police Station, and an investigation is underway. Local police teams are reviewing CCTV footage from the temple and surrounding areas. Multiple raids are being conducted to trace the culprits.

This incident has sparked concerns over temple security, with many devotees questioning how such a major theft could occur in a posh locality.

Worth mentioning, a string of alleged temple thefts across Odisha has left the State on edge, with valuable ornaments, idols and cash being stolen from as many as twelve religious sites in the last three months before January 20.

One such incident had occurred at Saila Srikhetra Jagannath Temple in Angul on January 16, 2025, where miscreants allegedly looted cash offerings and three gold crowns.

The loots followed a spate of similar robberies, including thefts from prominent temples like Tara Tarini in Ganjam and Panchamukhi Hanuman in Cuttack, resulting in losses worth lakhs of rupees.

The recurring incidents have raised concerns over temple security and the government’s course of action to address these rising crimes at religious places.