By The Wire Staff
New Delhi: An ashtadhatu (eight metals) idol of goddess Vagdevi (goddess of speech) was allegedly discovered inside the Bhojshala complex, a highly contentious site of religious and archaeological dispute in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, on Saturday (June 6), reported The Times of India. The idol reportedly remained undetected for several hours before it was removed from the premises by officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
According to the TOI report, flowers, rice and other material used in sacred rites, were found near the idol, suggesting that religious rituals had been performed at the site. It is yet to be ascertained who brought the idol and when it was installed in the premises.
Dhar Kotwali station house officer (SHO) Dipak Singh Chohan told TOI that due to concrete ASI guidelines regarding objects allowed inside the premises of the protected monument, no police case has been registered as of now. “Once guidelines are issued, police and other personnel deployed to guard the monument will ensure that no prohibited article reaches inside,” he said.
Moreover, the incident has not been linked to any individual or organisation that may be responsible. The Bhoj Utsav Samiti has distanced itself from the incident, reported TOI. Convenor Gopal Sharma said, “Our organisation has no connection with the idol found inside Bhojshala.”
“Devotees are already worshipping a symbolic form of goddess Vagdevi that was installed earlier this month,” he added.
The clandestine placement of the idol has raised new concerns surrounding the security arrangements at the site, which is monitored by ASI staff, while police personnel guard the monument’s external periphery.
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