Himachal temple watchman murdered, antique idols stolen

Robbers made off with eight antique idols from a temple in the Shimla district Tuesday after murdering a watchman, police said.

The idols were found missing from the Bandra temple in Banchuch village near Rohru town in the morning, about 120 km from here.

"Eight idols and some jewellery and artefacts were stolen from the temple after murdering the watchman. Most of the idols are made of 'ashtadhatu' (a composite of eight metals)," a police official told IANS.

The theft has once again put the spotlight on the treasures housed in hundreds of temples and monasteries that lack proper security.

Himachal Pradesh has over 2,000 temples and monasteries that are centuries old. Of these, 60 are under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), while 31 are under the control of the state's language, art and culture department.