A Hindu temple in Phoenix, north of Durban, has been robbed of 14 sacred statues, among them a piece that is 85 years old, according to Times Live.
The Sri Nageshwari Bhadra Kali Amman Kovil in Northcroft has been broken into multiple times in the past few months, the latest being this week.
Times Live reported that criminals are targeting temples for sacred statues, many of them solid brasses.
In the Hindu tradition, a murthi is a depiction of a deity.
On Tuesday, after an alert, private security firm KZN VIP Protection Services nabbed a man who was allegedly escaping from another temple site with two accomplices.
“One suspect was swiftly apprehended after a short foot chase. The other two suspects unfortunately escaped,” said KZN VIP spokesperson Gareth Naidoo.
“The suspect who was apprehended is believed to be linked to the break-ins at the temples in the Northcroft area.”
The man was said to have been found in possession of items from the temple and was handed over to the police.
A representative of the Sri Nageshwari temple said he did not believe the apprehended suspect was linked to their recent robbery.
“It would not be the same thieves because the thieves that stole from our temple used a vehicle to take the murthis. Nothing has been recovered.”
The temple put out an appeal to the community for help in locating the sacred statues.
“Lots of items were taken over the past few months. This has become an absolute nightmare,” it said in a public notice.
“Between Monday and early parts of Wednesday morning, our temple has been broken into yet again. A total of 14 murthis/god statues have been stolen.”
“These murthis hold great significance to us and each one of them is unique and will not be found just anywhere. One of our murthis is more than 85 years old.”
“The temple committee and its devotees will not rest until we have located the temple’s possessions and punished those who have had the audacity to trespass into a place of worship to steal.”
