BIHAR, INDIA, December 1, 2015 (Big News Network): Ancient statues of Mahavira and Buddha have become a soft target of antique smugglers in Bihar, with nearly 200 statues stolen in the state in the last five years. According to police officials, many cases of thefts were never reported due to lack of knowledge of their value in the international market.
According to police, 30 statues were stolen in 2011, 62 in 2012 and 65 in 2013. Nearly two dozen thefts took place last year and a dozen so far this year. Several precious statues of Hindu deities have been missing from temples and ashrams, a police official said. The thefts have been reported from Gaya, Bhagalpur, Kishanganj, Vaishali, Begusarai, Saran, Samastipur, Jamui, Nalanda, Rohtas, Sitamarhi and Patna districts. Except in a few cases, police have been unable to recover the stolen statues.
Most of the stolen statues were “ashtadhatu” — an alloy of gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron and mercury besides rare marble, brass and other metals. An official of the Bihar archaeology department said ancient statues made of “ashtadhatu” were in great demand in the international market.