ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA, September 17, 2015 (Siasat Daily): Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated in a unique way in the South Australian capital of Adelaide, where a neglected ancient statue of Lord Ganesha found its new home in a makeshift temple in the zoo. The statue was spotted by a local member of the Hindu community, and was later established in a makeshift temple with the support of the Adelaide Zoo Authority.
Interestingly, the zoo authorities were astounded by the significance attached to the statue by Hindus. “We had no idea that this statue is so important to Hindus. We have no idea how it came here. I have been working at this zoo for over 35 years and it (the statue of Lord Ganesha) could be around 40-50 years old,” said Jeff Lugg, General Manager, Operations, Adelaide Zoo.
Chirag Trivedi of the Hindu Social and Welfare Council of SA took upon his shoulders to connect with the archaeology department. “When I approached the archaeology Department of Flinders University of South Australia, I was surprised at the findings. The statue that was left neglected, was a contemporary Balinese copy of Javanese ingasari / Majapahit period, probably of a well-known 13th century Javanese Boro Ganesa statue in Blitar, East Java. It was a serious matter now, not just about faith and religion but also about history,” said Trivedi. The zoo authorities, recognizing the importance, graciously allowed to mount the statue over a raised platform with a protecting dome.