Srinagar, Dec 26 Police in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Friday facilitated the safe handover of a stone sculpture recovered from the Jhelum river to the Archaeology Department for preservation and conservation, an official said.
In a statement issued here, the police said that Baramulla Police ensured the secure transfer of the stone sculpture, which was recovered from the River Jhelum, following due procedure.
According to the statement, a fisherman identified as Nazir Ahmad Latoo, son of Ghulam Mohammad Latoo and a resident of Shaltang–Zogyar, reported to Police Station Sheeri in Baramulla that he had recovered a stone sculpture while fishing in the river.
"The sculpture was immediately brought to the notice of police authorities and kept in safe custody at Police Station Sheeri," the statement said.
"Subsequently, on December 26, 2025, following official directions from the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Jammu and Kashmir, the stone sculpture -- identified as Goddess Durga -- was formally handed over by Baramulla Police to officials of the Archaeology Wing, Srinagar, through a proper handover and takeover process," it added.
Baramulla Police reiterated its commitment to the protection of cultural heritage and urged citizens to promptly inform authorities about any discoveries of historical or archaeological importance.
It may be mentioned that during the peak of terrorism in Kashmir in the early and mid-1990s, militants destroyed numerous homes and temples belonging to the minority Kashmiri Pandit community.
In several such incidents, idols of gods and deities were removed from their historic locations and thrown into rivers or abandoned at other places.
Kashmir is home to some of the oldest Hindu temple sites, including the iconic Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar dedicated to Lord Shiva, the ruined ninth-century Martand Sun Temple dedicated to Surya, the riverside ruins of the Avantiswami and Avantisvara temples at Awantipora, and the ancient Shiva shrine at Pandrethan.
The region also houses revered sites such as the Kheer Bhawani temple at Tullamulla and the Sharika Mata shrine at Hari Parbat, reflecting Kashmir’s rich Shaivite and Vaishnavite heritage.
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