Goddess Kali crown gifted by Modi stolen from B'desh temple

A Goddess Kali crown gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a famous temple in Bangladesh in 2021, has been stolen.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs Pooja at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple, in Satkhira, Bangladesh. Photograph: ANI Photo

The silver, gold-plated crown was stolen from the Jeshoreshwari temple in Satkhira's Shyamnagar on Thursday afternoon, shortly after the temple priest had left following the day's worship. The cleaning staff later discovered that the crown was missing from the deity's head, according to Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star.

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

India expressed its concern over the theft and urged Bangladesh to investigate the matter and recover the stolen crown.

"We express concern on the incident and urge the Government of Bangladesh to investigate the theft, recover the crown and take action against the perpetrators," the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said in a statement.

Jeshoreshwari Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths scattered across India and neighbouring countries. The name "Jeshoreshwari" means “Goddess of Jeshore.”