New Delhi, Nov 3: The idol of Goddess Kotrakshi, which was stolen two years ago from a temple in Odisha’s Jajpur district, will be reinstalled there soon, informed Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday.

Briefing a press conference here, Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the idol was stolen from the temple at Darpangarh village of Jajpur district in January 2021 and was recovered by the Customs Department sleuths from the airport in New Delhi while attempts were made to export it.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has assured the reinstallation of the idol at the Maa Kotrakshi Temple in Darpangarh, he added.

The Customs officials today handed over the astadhatu idol of Goddess Kotrakshi to the officials of Odisha government in the presence of Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Minister Dharmendra Pradhan extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy, officials of the Customs Department and Archaeological Survey of India for respecting the sentiments of the villagers and fulfilling their long-standing expectations in this regard.

ଯାଜପୁର ଜିଲ୍ଲା ଦର୍ପଣଗଡ଼ର ଅଧିଷ୍ଠାତ୍ରୀ ଦେବୀ ମା’ କୋଟ୍ରାକ୍ଷୀଙ୍କ ଅଷ୍ଟଧାତୁ ନିର୍ମିତ ଦୁର୍ଲ୍ଲଭ ପ୍ରାଚୀନ ମୂର୍ତ୍ତିକୁ ଆଜି @cbic_india ର ଅଧିକାରୀମାନେ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ପ୍ରଶାସନକୁ ହସ୍ତାନ୍ତର କରିବାର ପବିତ୍ର ଅବସରରେ ଉପସ୍ଥିତ ରହିବାର ସୌଭାଗ୍ୟ ଲାଭ କଲି । ମା' କୋଟ୍ରାକ୍ଷୀ ଦର୍ପଣଗଡ଼ ଗ୍ରାମବାସୀଙ୍କ ଆସ୍ଥା, ଐତିହ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ବିଶ୍ୱାସର… pic.twitter.com/Bb2rdGWfxV
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) November 9, 2023

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