Facing initial challenges in verifying its history for two long years, it was a fortuitous moment of rummaging through the pages of a Tantra Shastra book in Odisha that officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) finally unravelled the mystery of a stolen 400-year-old historical brass statue, Kotarakshi.
The statue depicts Mother Chamunda with ten hands and was seized from the IGI Airport in Delhi in 2022. Valued at approximately Rs 3 crore in the global market, the statue’s customs interception, measuring around 26 inches and weighing 38 kilogram, prompted ASI’s investigation.
Though the idol is now restored to its original home in a temple in the lesser-known village of Badchana in Odisha, the journey from its seizure at the airport by customs officials to its installation was shrouded in mystery. ASI officials initially grappled with determining its origin and the location of its theft.
“For two long years, ASI officials faced the daunting task of verifying its history,” recounted an official. However, amidst this uncertainty, a chance discovery of ancient texts and scriptures, particularly a forgotten volume of Tantra Shastra literature from Odisha, proved pivotal.
“In the end of the third volume of the book authored by Professor Thomas Donaldson, there were some details and pictures which bore resemblance to the seized antiquity. There was an obscure mention of a deity resembling the stolen statue,” recalled the official.
Piecing together information provided by the Tantra and Sakta Art of Odisha Pustak, they managed to shed light on the historical and cultural significance of the statue. “We connected our Odisha ASI circle and connected the dots with the FIR registered in the case by the temple priest way back in 2021,” recounted an official.
He explained that details of the antiquities were not available anywhere, making it a herculean task to identify its origin. However, breakthroughs came through the study of Tantra Shastra literature, particularly the Tantra and Sakta Art of Odisha Pustak.
Learning of the statue’s recovery, a team of priests, villagers, and locals from the region visited the customs office in Delhi and identified the idol, confirming its connection to the temple. To expedite its return, the locals, under the guidance of the Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, petitioned the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“The idol’s journey back home was facilitated by the intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), prompted by a heartfelt request from the villagers led by Union Minister Dharmesh Pradhan, who hails from Odisha,” said the official.
The ASI is now in the process of registering the artifact with all photographs and history to ensure its identification and security. Simultaneously, the State Government has been asked to ensure theft-proof security for the valuable idol, one of the jewels in India’s rich cultural heritage.
According to the locals, Maa Kotrakshi is a symbol of faith, community spirit, and heritage. Seven months after the theft, the villagers had installed another idol of Maa Kotrakshi.
