Four idols have been stolen from Ichangu Narayan Temple the fourth of the four Narayan temples of the Kathmandu Valley.
DSP with the Metropolitan Police Swoyambhu Cricle Milan KC said two idols each of Radha and Krishna, made of cast iron, have been stolen from the temple in Nagarjun municipality 3 Tuesday night.
"Gold and silver have not been stolen. Four small idols of Radha Krishna seem to have been stolen according to the locals," DSP KC stated.
The idols have been stolen from the upper floor of the two-story temple that has idol of the Ichangu Narayan at the ground floor. "The grill has been broken. There is a roof after the first floor and there is a small window-like hole on the upper part of the roof. The idols seem to have been stolen after getting in from there and coming down."
Mayor of Nagarjun Mohan Bahadur Basnet told Setopati that the theft has been known after the priest did not find the idols when he went there for morning puja. "We also went to the temple in the morning after he informed. The idols have been stolen breaking the window," Basnet said.
This is the third time that idols have been stolen from the temple, according to Basnet. "An idol was stolen from the temple around 20-25 years back. The police had even arrested the thief then. Idols were again stolen 10 years back. The thieves could not be arrested then. New idols were kept around 8-10 years back."
He stated that the idols may have been stolen as they command a high price despite not being made of valuable metals as they were made during the Lichchhavi era.
