'Shivling' stolen from Dwarka's centuries-old Mahadev temple on Mahashivratri eve

SP Nitesh Pandey

As Mahashivratri is being observed today across the country, a mysterious case of theft of a 'shivling' in Gujarat's Dwarka has shocked devotees. A multi-agency probe has been initiated to find the shivling and catch the culprits.

The incident took place at the Shree Bhidbhanjan Mahadev temple, which is close to the wellknown Harsiddhi Mataji temple and situated on the Arabian Sea coast in Kalyanpur. The temple is believed to be centuries old.

According to police, the priest of this old Shiva temple was shocked to see that Shivling had been removed from its location and taken, along with its base.

"All other items in the temple were intact in their place. The base of the Shivling was found lying on the beach nearby, after which a team of scuba divers was roped in to search the stolen Shivling inside seawater as there is a possibility of it being thrown into it," the police said.

Barasiya further informed that separate teams of the local crime branch, special operations group and local police have been formed along with forensic experts and a dog squad to investigate the case. An FIR was registered under section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft, and a search operation is being carried out.

According to the priest, he found the door open when he reached the temple on Tuesday. When he looked inside, he found the Shivling missing from its place, after which he immediately informed the police.

The Bhidbhanjan Mahadev Temple is a revered Shiva temple located in Bhavnagar. Known for its deep spiritual significance, the temple has a fascinating history, including the legend of a bleeding Shivalingam. Devotees flock here with the belief that their wishes are fulfilled through sincere prayer and offerings.