Shiva Linga At Hampi World Heritage Site Vandalised

A Shiva linga located amid the rocks in the Tungabhadra River at the Hampi World Heritage Site was found damaged on Wednesday, The Hindu has reported. Attempts to vandalise another Linga in the vicinity has also come to light.

Expressing anguish over the incident, Hampi-based Vijayanagar Smaraka Samskruti Samrakshana Sene has submitted a memorandum to concerned authorities, demanding appropriate action against miscreants.

“If no action is taken within 10 days, we will be left with no option but to stage a rasta roko to put our point across. In 2012, one of the oldest gopuras was brought down mercilessly by miscreants looking for treasure. The police have still not caught the vandals,” Sena convenor Vishwanath Malagi has said, saying that the organisation will have no option but to protest if the police fails to take action.

“We suspect that it is an act of vandalism and are looking for the unidentified suspects. The incident came to light after members of the Smaraka Samskruti Samrakshana Sene wrote to the Hampi Deputy Commissioner of Police,” Superintendent of Police in Ballari, Chetan RS has been quoted as saying.

Hampi is a busy tourist spot, and home guards are deployed to watch over the structures. However, according to Asianet, the guards were deployed elsewhere during Ramadan and the Shiva linga was vandalised in their absence.