Gold-plated kalash worth Rs 40 lakh stolen from Jain temple in Delhi

A gold-plated 'kalash' (urn) worth around Rs 40 lakh was allegedly stolen from the spire of a Jain temple in northeast Delhi's Jyoti Nagar area, an official said on Sunday.

The heist was captured on CCTV cameras installed at the temple, and two videos purportedly of the theft have since gone viral on social media platforms, police said.

In one of the clips, a man can be seen climbing down from a pole at the temple premises after allegedly stealing the gold-plated urn, while another video shows him carrying the kalash under the cover of darkness.

The incident took place in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday when most residents in the area were busy with Karva Chauth celebrations.

According to the police, the stolen kalash, made of 'asth-dhatu' (auspicious alloy comprising eight metals) had been installed atop the temple several years ago. It carried approximately 200 grams of gold, and is estimated to be worth around Rs 35-40 lakh.

The theft was reported at Jyoti Nagar police station on Saturday morning after a temple staffer noticed the missing kalash and informed the management, they said.

The complainant, identified as Neeraj Jain (58), resident of East Jyoti Nagar and president of the temple committee, told police that the kalash installed on the temple's spire had been stolen by an unidentified person, they said.

“Teams have been formed to identify and nab the accused. Technical surveillance is being used to trace his movement,” the officer said.

On September 3, during a Jain religious procession near the Red Fort which was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, three gold ceremonial items — a large 'jhari' (urn), a 'jag' (pitcher) and a 'bariyal' (container) — worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore were stolen. The Delhi Police had arrested three people from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad in this connection.

This is the second instance of theft of Jain ceremonial items in the past two months.

"The Jain community is deeply hurt by this incident. Our temples must be kept safe so that devotees can pray in peace. The SHO has assured us that the stolen kalash will be recovered soon and be handed over to the temple," said Priyank Jain, vice president of the Jyoti Nagar Jain Temple.

Rajesh Jain, former president of the Jyoti Nagar Digambar Jain Mandir, said, "The police, including the DCP, ACP, and SHO, are personally monitoring the case. The kalash holds great spiritual significance for us, and we are being regularly updated by the police. We are hopeful that the case will be solved soon."

Police said the investigation is underway.