Maoists based in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region have demolished a thousand-year-old Ganesha statue. Dainik Bhaskar reported the statue missing first on 26 January when a group of pilgrims visited the place.

The idol was located at the height of 13,000 feet in Bastar, and was discovered by a local journalist in 2012. After that a huge search operation was carried out by the archaeology department. The research showed that the idol was made at the time of Nagvanshi dynasty around ninth century AD.

Many stone weapons were also discovered in the vicinity, which was seen as sign of early human life. But, the exploration of the state’s rich history has largely been mired because of Maoist insurgents. The Maoists have often sabotaged the development projects for Chhattisgarh.