In the past year nine antique objects were reported stolen from heritage sites in India, including statues and an iron cannon.

Among the stolen artefacts are Nandi idols (depicting the bull which serves as the mount of the god Shiva) stolen from Veerabhadraswamy temple in Motupalle village and from the Kumararama Bhimeswara Swamy temple at Samalkot. The first one was already recovered by the police in December, but the second one is still missing. Other antiquities include a stone Ganesha from the Ramalingeswar temple complex at Avani,  a stone image from the Bhairavbaba temple in Dantewada, two stone sculptures of Bhairav (fierce manifestation of Shiva) from the ruined temple at Bastar, and an entire iron cannon from the historic Kasa Fort in Raigad.

(after Deccan Chronicle)