Moodubelle: Festive Idol of Kattingeri Temple Stolen

Report by Eugene Moodubelle
Pictures by Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 23 April 2010:It seems that the gods and goddesses are no longer safe in the temples of Udupi District, especially in the vicinity of Moodubelle. During the early morning of Friday, 23rd April 2010 at around 2 am the robbers took away the Celebration idol (Utsava Moorthi) of Shri Brahma Lingeshwara from the Kattingeri temple. Along with the idol, two silver utensils were also taken away by the unscrupulous thieves. This the fourth instance of the robbers striking at the temples since early January 2010. The earlier three incidents being from the temples of Devaragudde, Padubelle and Pernankila.

 

 

 

Narrating the incident of the robbery, Mr. Devdas Hebbar, the Managing Trustee of the Kattingeri temple said that taking the advantage of the absence of the youngsters of the village who were attending the nightlong Kola (Nemotsava) at Edmeru, the robbers broke open the locks of the side door and the door of the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagudi). The youngsters who returned in the morning noticed that the side door of the temple was open and on checking found the door of the garbhagudi too open and the  six inch tall Utsava Moorthi along with two silver utensils were missing.

 

When the incident was reported to Mr. Devdas Hebbar he immediately rushed to the temple and contacted the Shirva police station. SI Ganesh along with four constables came to the temple at around 7.30 am followed by the finger print experts and dog squad at 8am. A formal complaint about the robbery has been made to the police.

 

It is surprising that in spite of the earlier three incidents of temple breakings, the robbers are still carrying  on their nefarious activities with impunity. Not only they do not have the fear of the law and law enforcing agencies, but also the respect to and fear of the deities.