Sri Lanka police hunt thieves after gold necklaces stolen from temple stupa

Thieves broke through three doors at Sandagiri Maha Seya in Hanthana and escaped with between 10 and 12 gem-studded gold necklaces, a haul worth millions of rupees taken from the relic chamber rather than the relics themselves. The theft was reported on Saturday, May 24, 2026, and Sri Lanka Police sent three special teams, backed by K9 units, to track the suspects after they fled the temple complex with the ornaments.

The chief incumbent lodged a complaint with Kandy Headquarters Police, turning the case into a search not just for stolen gold but for pieces that carried devotional weight as well as monetary value. Separate local reporting said the necklaces had been placed on the relic casket by devotees as offerings, while the principal gold casket, other valuable offerings and the relics were left undamaged. That detail sharpens the story: the thieves did not just strip a chamber of jewelry, they targeted ceremonial gold that had been entrusted to a sacred space.

Sandagiri Maha Seya sits in the Hanthana area of Kandy District, close to the Hanthana-Uduwela road and about 1.7 km from the Ceylon Tea Museum. The modern stupa is described as one of the largest in the district, and it draws local and international Buddhist devotees to Sandagiri Maha Viharaya. In that setting, the theft lands as a reminder that even gold kept inside a revered stupa is vulnerable once access is breached.

For trustees, families and collectors of heirloom gold, the lesson is practical as well as spiritual. Sacred or ceremonial pieces need the same discipline as a private vault: item-by-item inventory logs, clear photographs that document design and condition, valuation records that can be produced quickly, and immediate reporting the moment something is missing. Those records do not prevent a break-in, but they can define exactly what vanished and speed the response when every minute counts.

The appeal of gold necklaces often lies in their craftsmanship, the curve of each link and the presence of gem setting that gives a piece its ceremonial shine. In Hanthana, that beauty was converted into a police case in minutes. What happens next will depend on whether the search teams can recover the necklaces before they are broken apart, melted down or moved beyond reach.