Crown Of Goddess Kali Stolen From Bangladesh's Jeshoreshwari Temple, Was Gift From PM Modi

A crown belonging to Goddess Kali at the Jeshoreshwari Temple in Satkhira, Bangladesh, which was a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reportedly been stolen.

The silver, gold-plated crown was taken on Thursday afternoon, shortly after the temple priest had left following the day's prayers.

Photo Credit: PTI

The temple's cleaning staff later discovered the crown missing from the deity's head, according to a report by The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi newspaper.

Prime Minister Modi had presented the crown to the Jeshoreshwari Temple in March 2021, during his visit to Bangladesh.

Jyoti Chattopadhyay, a member of the family that has overseen the temple for generations, told the Bangladeshi media that the crown was made of silver and plated with gold.

The stolen crown holds major cultural and religious value for devotees.

According to Hindu mythology, the Jeshoreshwari Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, which are sacred sites spread across India and neighbouring countries.

Located in Ishwaripur, Satkhira, the temple is believed to have been constructed in the latter half of the 12th century by a Brahman named Anari, who built it with 100 doors for the Jashoreshwari Pith.

The temple was later renovated by Lakshman Sen in the 13th century, and Raja Pratapaditya reconstructed it in the 16th century.

During his visit, Prime Minister Modi had announced India would construct a multipurpose community hall at the temple.

He emphasised that it would serve as a space for social, religious, and educational events for the local community, as well as provide shelter during natural disasters like cyclones.