Nandi idol stolen from Ananta Padmanabhaswamy temple in Hindupur of Andhra Pradesh

CCTV cameras installed at the temple are not in working condition, say police

The pedestal on which the Nandi idol was installed at Ananta Padmanabhaswamy temple at Hindupur in Sri Sathya Sai district on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: R.V.S. PRASAD

The stone Nandi idol installed at 700-year-old Ananta Padmanabhaswamy temple was stolen in the early hours of April 4 (Tuesday) and it is suspected to be the handiwork of treasure hunters.

The priest opened the temple doors on Tuesday morning and found the idol missing. Temple Executive Officer Nagenda lodged a complaint with the Hindupur II-Town police. A case has been registered and the investigation is on, said Circle Inspector Venkateswarlu.

The CCTV cameras installed at the temple have not been working for the last 20 days, making it difficult to identify the miscreants, the police said. 

The incident came close on the heel of a Ganesh idol at Phirangipuram in Guntur district) being found broken. People said the notion that many temples had hidden treasures was prompting robbers to resort to such act.

Meanwhile, Chhatrapati Shivaji Seva Trust and other Hindu associations staged a protest over the issue. They alleged that the temple management was not taking up any development activities despite the temple generating revenue of ₹3 lakh to ₹4 lakh per month.