CONTRARY to the widespread belief in India that Lord Brahma has only one temple at Pushkar in Rajasthan, the Bastar region shelters four rare idols of the cosmic creator. These artifacts, of immense historical, cultural, and archaeological value, lie neglected in the open, with only one damaged idol shifted to the district museum. The rest remain exposed at sites like Mirtur and Mustlanar, fueling local fears of theft amid rising incidents of ancient sculpture smuggling in Bastar. Mythology holds that temples to Brahma invite misfortune, explaining the scarcity beyond Pushkar. This makes Bastar’s idols exceptionally significant, demanding urgent scholarly and administrative action. In Mirtur’s forested area, 12th-century idols of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh sit unprotected under a banyan tree, earning the site the local name “Brahma temple.” Antisocial elements have already damaged the Shiva idol here, underscoring the lack of security.

 

Another 12th13th century Brahma idol, found in a Bastar village, was vandalized losing its head before being moved to the district archaeological museum, the only one under institutional care. At Mustlanar village on the Indravati River in Dantewada district, two more Brahma idols, alongside others, lie in an open field. Villagers worship them as village deities, yet they are absent from archaeology department records. Residents urge the district administration and archaeology department to collaborate on conservation, warning that without swift measures, these treasures could vanish like other stolen Bastar artifacts. Retired archaeology officer SK Raikwar called Bastar a “treasure trove” of ancient sculptures, stressing that inaction risks erasing the region’s heritage. Dr J R Bhagat, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Archaeology, confirmed widespread thefts but noted challenges like locals view many idols as sacred village deities and resist relocation. The Government is now exploring in-situ preservation plans to protect them on-site.