Gajapati, Jul 24: A theft has been reported at the revered Maa Budhi Thakurani Temple in Mohana of Odisha's Gajapati district, where miscreants allegedly broke open the temple lock and decamped with several sacred items.

According to the temple priest, the thieves stole the deity's brass crown (kirita), five large temple bells, and other puja materials after forcibly breaking the lock on the temple gate. The priest had locked the temple after performing the nightly rituals on the previous evening before returning home.

When the priest arrived at the temple on Friday morning to perform the daily worship, he found the lock on the main gate broken. Upon entering the shrine, he discovered that several valuable religious articles were missing, indicating that unidentified miscreants had carried out the theft during the night.

After receiving information about the incident, Mohana Police reached the temple and launched an investigation. Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the theft and are making efforts to identify and trace those involved in the crime.