A stone Shivling was stolen from Shree Bhidbhanjan Bhavaneeshvar Mahadev temple in Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district on Tuesday, a day ahead of Maha Shivratri. The theft led to a massive search operation by more than one agency to recover the Shivling and arrest the criminals, officials stated.
The temple, which is located along the coast of the Arabian Sea at Kalyanpur and in the vicinity of the popular Harsiddhi Mataji temple, is centuries old, as per belief. The temple priest was taken aback to see the Shivling displaced from its position and stolen along with its pedestal.
Authorities Deploy Divers and Forensic Teams in Search Operation
Police inspector Akash Barasiya also confirmed that the other temple belongings were left untouched. “All other items in the temple were intact in their place,” he said. Authorities then discovered the base of the Shivling left on an adjacent beach, suspecting that the idol was possibly dumped into the sea.
#WATCH | Devbhumi Dwarka, Gujarat | SP Nitesh Pandey says, “Priest of Bhidbhanjan Bhavaneeshvar Mahadev temple informed police that someone had stolen a ‘Shivling’ from the temple. Teams have been formed, and an investigation is going on. There is a possibility that someone might… pic.twitter.com/zXoY8aswsW
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2025
Taking a cue from this, officials sent scuba divers to search underwater. Further, local crime branch teams, special operations groups, local police, forensic specialists, and a dog squad have been put into action to probe the case.
Police Register FIR and Ramp Up Investigations
Police have registered an FIR under section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for the theft. The investigators are following several leads to retrieve the stolen Shivling.
The priest of the temple narrated the surprising find, saying that the temple door was open when he went there. “When he peeped inside, he saw that Shivling was not in its usual position, and he immediately informed the police,” officials said.
The accident has raised alarm among devotees, particularly since it happened on the eve of Maha Shivratri, a festival that is annually observed to worship Lord Shiva. The Shivling is a venerated embodiment of Shiva’s cosmic power, representing creation, sustenance, and destruction.
