Shivling stolen from centuries-old Mahadev temple in Gujarat; scuba divers join search

NEW DELHI: A 'Shivling' was found stolen from the Shree Bhidbhanjan Bhavaneeshvar Mahadev temple in Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district on Tuesday, a day before Mahashivratri, prompting a multi-agency search operation to recover it and identify those responsible, officials said.
The temple, located on the shores of the Arabian Sea near the famous Harsiddhi Mataji pilgrimage site in Kalyanpur, is believed to be centuries old.
The theft was discovered when the temple priest arrived in the morning and found the door open. On entering, he realized that the Shivling had been uprooted from its base and stolen. "All other items in the temple were intact," police inspector Akash Barasiya said.
SP Nitesh Pandey says, "Priest of Bhidbhanjan Bhavaneeshvar Mahadev temple informed police that someone had stolen a 'Shivling' from the temple. Teams have been formed, and an investigation is going on. There is a possibility that someone might have hidden the Shivling in the sea, and hence we have called expert scuba divers and swimmers..."
Soon after, the temple's base was located on the nearby beach, raising suspicions that the stolen Shivling might have been thrown into the sea. A team of scuba divers has been deployed to search the waters, while multiple teams—including the local crime branch, special operations group, forensic experts, and a dog squad—have been formed to investigate.
An FIR has been registered under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft, and a large-scale search operation is underway, police said.
The incident has sparked concern among devotees, particularly as it comes on the eve of Maha Shivratri, one of the most significant festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The Shivling is considered a sacred symbol representing Shiva’s cosmic energy and is revered as an embodiment of creation, preservation, and dissolution.