Thursday, Sep 18, 2003
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Andhra Pradesh
By S. Ramu
Going by the modus operandi of the gang and the value of the antique in Buddhist countries, locals and a section of police officials see the hand of an international gang. It might have "engaged'' some of the locals to take away the monument dating back to second century AD. It was a rare monument depicting the life story of the Lord Buddha. The piece was four feet high and about two feet long with a weight of nearly 170 kg. An archaeologist said that the piece was altogether different from the other Buddha-related objects the Department had collected in the excavations at Nagarjunakonda, Amaravathi, Bhattiprolu, Totlakonda and other places. "Many idols of Buddha carved out in different styles were found in the earlier excavations, but this limestone sculpture found in March seems to be different,'' an archaeologist told The Hindu. In a meticulous midnight operation on Sunday, the monument which was kept on the hillock, was allegedly stolen by a gang. The highly aesthetic antique portrays three stories about Lord Buddha. While the top one, which is decorated with a medallion, depicts Siddartha with his headgear, the lower portion represents farewell to the young prince (seen on a horse). An official of the Archaeological Department said that the story in the middle portion of the monument could not be conclusively translated till date. The Archaeological Department, which started excavation two years ago, could not shift the historical object to a safer place for unknown reasons. Officials, however, said that a request was made to the Police Department for its protection in April. The monument appeared have been damaged while being brought down from the hillock by the gang. The police collected some broken parts of the sculpture, a water bottle and an empty cigarette pack from the spot. Quoting the officials, the Tirumalagiri SI, B. Yadagiriswamy, said that the piece did not have any antique value in India. It could be very costly in the Buddhist countries, he added. Villagers said that the gang had visited the place thrice before masterminding the plan. The police suspect that at least ten persons would have participated in the operation. The SP, V.C. Sajjanar, sounded an alert in all police stations to nab the gang. "We are investigating the case from all angles. Some of the locals who were into the antique business are being questioned,'' he said and added that the gang would be busted soon.
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