500-pound statue left in parking lot at Oakville Museum
Posted April 17, 2012 7:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An Oakville Museum employee arrived at work earlier this month to find someone else in his parking space — a 500-pound statue resembling the Hindu god Ganesh.
Bill Nesbitt found the marble statue, which is missing two arms, in his parking spot at the Oakville Museum on Navy Street on April 3 when he arrived for work around 8 a.m.
“I knew it was a Hindu statue, but where it came from I had no idea,” Nesbitt told CityNews.
Police officers unsuccessfully tried to move the one-metre-tall marble icon, known as the remover of obstacles, and had to call in the Oakville road and works department. The statue was taken to Halton police’s property bureau.
“Unfortunately because it’s damaged we’re informed they won’t be able to worship it…we’re told it’s probably from a temple, given its size, ” said Halton Police Sgt. Dave Cross.
“I couldn’t figure out why somebody would drop the statue right in the parking lot. They should have asked the temple whatever they should have been getting done with it, because if you don’t know anything about it, ask the priest,” said Lalit Datta, a volunteer at Bharat Mata Mandir temple in Brampton.
Officers are now trying to track down the statue’s owner.
Jeff Lal, the president of the temple, said if nobody claims the statue he would be willing to do the proper rituals to give the statue closure.
Anyone with information can call police at (905) 825-4747 ext. 2215 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
