We are indeed living in degenerate times. Even holy relics are up for grabs! We should hold on to Dharma and our Protector as these are truly the precious gems we can take with us when we breathe our last breath...
And this is not just happening to Buddhist relics but from all faiths. Here are some shocking stories:
1. Pope John Paul II relic stolen from chapel in Italy28 January 2014
Italian police are hunting for a stolen holy relic that contains the blood of Pope John Paul II.
It appears to have been taken during the burglary of a small chapel in the central Abruzzo region - near the town of L'Aquila.
Courtesy of:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25923414
2. Prophet Muhammad's Slippers Stolen from Mosque August 03, 2002
LAHORE, PAKISTAN — Slippers believed to have been worn by the Prophet Muhammad were stolen this week from the renowned Badshahi mosque, officials said Friday.
Police were questioning eight employees of the mosque. No suspects have been arrested.
Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws under which people convicted of insulting Islam can be executed. Whoever stole the pair of slippers could face a death sentence, according to Ghulam Sarwar Qadri, the religious affairs minister for Punjab province.
However, "No action will be taken if the culprits return these slippers voluntarily," he told a meeting of clerics here.
The 17th Century mosque in Lahore contains several relics attributed to Muhammad, including a green turban. The slippers were displayed in a glass case along with other relics near the mosque's main gate.
The mosque, one of the world's largest, has a courtyard that can accommodate about 60,000 people.
Courtesy of:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-08-03/news/0208030338_1_renowned-badshahi-mosque-slippers-relics
3. Sarada relics stolen from Belur MathJuly 18, 2013
HOWRAH: Holy relics of Ma Sarada, including strands of her hair, teeth and rosary beads, have gone missing from the museum within the Belur Math premises. The theft was detected on Tuesday evening and a complaint has been lodged with Bally police station.
According to police sources, the theft was noticed during an inspection by the monks on Tuesday evening. "It is a routine inspection done every evening after the visitors have left," said an official.
More than a thousand visitors throng the Belur Math complex every day.
"We have received complains regarding the missing relics. We are investigating the case," Howrah police commissioner Ajey Ranade said.
The museum, situated near the main office of the Math, is well guarded. The relics were kept in a transparent glass box. "Every day thousands of devotees come here to pay their respects," the official said.
A team of CID officials has already inspected the complex. "We are investigating if there were any guards inside the museum," the official said. Police have recorded statements of the guards, and the monk who first noticed the theft.
There are no CCTV camera installed on the Math premises. A survey is now on to assess the number of cameras required to enhance security at the Math.
The Belur Math theft is the latest in a line of highprofile heists in the state in the recent past. In 2004, Tagore's Nobel Prize medal was stolen from Visva Bharati University. The same year, a 5th-century sandstone half bust of Lord Buddha was stolen from the Indian Museum in Kolkata.
Spread over forty acres, Belur Math houses temples dedicated to Ramakrishna, Sarada and Swami Vivekananda besides the museum which has relics belonging to the three.
Courtesy of:
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-18/kolkata/40655749_1_belur-math-relics-indian-museum
