Idol of Mahakali found broken in this famous Hoysala-era Laxmi temple in Karnataka

The very famous and historic Hoysala-era Laxmi temple in Karnataka is in news these days but not for good reasons. Reportedly, miscreants entered the temple and broke the idol of goddess Mahakali. The temple, situated in Doddagaddavalli, is a major tourist and religious attraction in the state and is visited by lakhs of devotees every year.

It is being anticipated that the criminals might have harmed the idol of Mahakali while searching for treasure, because none of the other idols of Lord Shiva and Vishnu were harmed. The criminals gained entry into the temple by breaking the main door and might have arrived from village outskirts as per the speculations.
The incident was reported by the temple priest, who went to offer pooja on Friday morning last week. He saw that the idol of Mahakali was cut into three pieces.

A video of the incident was tweeted by the BJP national general secretary in Karnataka, CT Ravi, wherein one can clearly see the broken pieces of the idol at the Mahalakshmi Temple in Karnataka. He appealed to the state government to offer strict punishment to the culprits.
"Deeply disturbed and distraught to watch this desecration in Mahalakshmi Temple at Doddagaddavalli. I clearly remember my visit here. Request Home Minister Sri @BSBommai to constitute a special Team to uncover the truth behind this act. Anyone found guilty must be punished," he tweeted.

The Mahalakshmi temple is a national monument and was maintained by the central archeological department. As per history books, this 800 years old temple was constructed by Pariyatra Mahavadda, Kullana Rahuta, and his wife Sahaja Devi during the reign of King Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala dynasty.
For years, the temple has been attracting tourists and historians from across the globe for its unique carved sculptures.