Bhubaneswar: In the sleepy village of Kandarpur, nestled within the forest-fringed landscapes of Odisha’s Nayagarh district, time moves slowly—until it doesn’t. The village, home to just under 2,000 people, was jolted into disbelief in early 2025 when the sacred idol of Chakreshwari Devi, the presiding goddess of their 17th-century temple, vanished without a trace.
The disappearance has since left villagers stunned, priests rattled, and investigators confused. But for many, this isn’t just a theft—it’s a rupture in the spiritual fabric of their lives.
“I came early to light the morning lamps, like I do every day,” said Pandit Hari Mohapatra, the temple’s 68-year-old head priest. “The doors were bolted from the outside. I opened them myself. Nothing was broken. And yet the Devi was gone.” His voice breaks mid-sentence, eyes locked on the now-empty sanctum.
The idol, a black granite sculpture weighing nearly 350 kilograms, has sat in that sanctum for over 400 years. Devotees believe the goddess protects their village from natural disasters, illness, and misfortune. Her disappearance has stirred equal parts fear and speculation.
Outside the temple, a hand-painted sign now reads:
“The Devi hasn’t left us—we left her.”
The local police were called immediately, and the case was registered as a theft. But nothing about the scene made sense. No broken locks. No drag marks. No footprints. The only camera, installed by a heritage nonprofit just last year, malfunctioned mysteriously that night—recording only static from 11:49 PM onward.
“Frankly, we’re baffled,” said Inspector Manoj Patnaik, who’s heading the investigation. “We’re treating this as a criminal case. But off the record? It’s bizarre.”
Local netizens have erupted in speculation and spiritual introspection. On Facebook groups and WhatsApp threads, villagers and former residents have flooded timelines with conspiracy theories and divine warnings. Some point fingers at land developers encroaching upon nearby forested areas. Others believe the goddess was offended by the neglect of traditions.
“This isn’t the first time Odisha’s sacred identity is overlooked,” said Sushree Patnaik, a social media user who grew up in Kandarpur. “First Bengal claims our Rasagola. Then Jagannath Dham controversies. Now our goddess disappears? This isn’t just theft—it’s erasure.”
Religious leaders from nearby districts have weighed in. Acharya Nilambar Dash, a Puri-based scholar-priest, suggests the disappearance may be a spiritual wake-up call. “When dharma is diluted, and temples are treated as tourist spots, deities may abandon their abodes. It’s not unheard of in ancient texts,” he said.
But archaeologists and historians offer a more grounded theory. Dr. Ananya Rath, an expert on temple heritage crimes, believes the idol may have been smuggled. “There’s a vast underground network trading ancient Indian artifacts globally. The market for idols is lucrative,” she said. Rath pointed out that at least 17 idols have disappeared from rural Odisha temples in the last decade—many without recovery or arrests.
A few Kandarpur villagers have taken the search into their own hands, venturing into surrounding forests and rivers, hoping that folklore might repeat itself. According to local legend, Chakreshwari Devi once vanished during a foreign invasion and was later found near a banyan tree by a shepherd boy. Hope clings tightly to such tales.
Meanwhile, the absence of the idol is deeply personal for devotees like 13-year-old Aashi, who used to pray before exams. “I always whispered my wishes to her. I don’t know where to go now,” she said, holding back tears.
As the days pass without a breakthrough, some in the village are pushing to reconsecrate a new idol, while others resist the idea, believing only the original goddess can return. The temple stands open, but the sanctum is cordoned off—its emptiness a daily reminder of the unexplained.
Whether this is the result of a spiritual abandonment, an elaborate heist, or a cosmic lesson, one thing is certain: Kandarpur is no longer just a village. It’s a mystery.
