Source: www.hindustantimes.com
HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA, September 24, 2009: Seven antique statues have been stolen from a Himachal Pradesh temple, making it the second such theft in a less than a week, police said on Tuesday. The statues were found missing Monday from the Keem temple near Rampur town in Shimla district, about 100 miles from Shimla. Most of the statues are made of silver.
Last week, on Sep 16, five 17th century bronze murtis were stolen from a temple in Nahan, about 87 miles from Shimla. The thefts have 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.