Outrage at theft of Hindu prayer poles

THE South African Hindu Darma Sabha wants raids on scrap metal dealers to be intensified after a spate of thefts of metal Hindu prayer poles, called jhunda.

President Ram Maharaj said he would write to the national commissioner’s office next week.

“I have often heard of the metal poles used in prayers being stolen. This is not right. People put up the prayer poles as a symbol of their faith, representing good over evil, and moral upliftment, yet these poles are stolen,” he said.

The poles, he said, were part of prayers in which Lord Hanuman was worshipped.

“It’s a symbol of protection, and instils faith and hope. We condemn the stealing of these items in the strongest terms,” he said.

His comments follow an online post by private security company Reaction Unit South Africa, in which they said there had been an increase in the number of complaints from residents about poles being stolen.

“Residents in Phoenix, Verulam and Tongaat have reported their metal prayer poles being stolen. It is suspected they are being stolen by drug users who sell them to scrap metal dealers.

“Several residents reported that their poles had been stolen during the course of the night, while others have found the poles missing when they returned from work,” read the statement.

The company urged residents to ensure their poles were properly secured into the ground to prevent them from being stolen.

The poles were initially made of bamboo, but Maharaj said that, over time, metal poles were used because they were easier to source.

Maharaj said it was unacceptable that scrap metal dealers would take the poles and make money out of them, knowing they were religious items.