Copper-brass urn stolen from historic Sarkhej Roja dargah dome

A copper-brass urn weighing approximately 5 to 6 kilograms, along with its decorative leaf, was reported stolen from the dome of the main dargah at the Sarkhej Roja complex between the night of June 30 and the morning of July 1. The missing artefact, valued around ₹1,700, was discovered during routine cleaning of the heritage site. The Sarkhej police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

The complaint was lodged by Nizam Hari Khan Siddiqui alias Bablu Khan (46), secretary of the Sarkhej Roja Committee, who has been overseeing the upkeep and coordination of the site for the past decade. Sarkhej Roja, a medieval Islamic architectural complex located in Makarba, is maintained under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), with support from the local committee.

In his written complaint, Siddiqui stated that on the morning of July 1, he received a call around 10.45 am from Nazirbhai, a cleaning staffer at Sarkhej Roja, informing him that the decorative urn and leaf atop the dargah’s dome were missing.

The caretaker narrated that during cleaning operations at around 8 am, two workers, Nazir Khan Pathan and Hanifbhai Sheikh, both aged 50, noticed a rope hanging at the rear of the dome. Looking up, they realised the small copper-brass urn and its decorative leaf were missing from the top of the dome of Sheikh Ahmad Ganj Bakhsh Khatu’s main dargah.

Despite searching the premises and the surrounding areas, the missing item was not located. The priest then contacted the police control room via the emergency helpline 100. Officers from Sarkhej police station responded to the scene and later accompanied the committee members to formally register the case.

The missing artefact, while modest in monetary value, is regarded as a symbolic fixture of the dargah’s architectural and cultural heritage. Police suspect the theft may have occurred during the narrow window between 10 pm on  June 30 and 8 am on July 1, possibly by someone who climbed the dome using the rope found at the scene.

Authorities are examining CCTV footage from nearby locations and exploring whether the theft may be linked to scrap-metal smuggling or other similar incidents in the area.

The Sarkhej Roja complex is a noted heritage site, blending Indo-Islamic architecture with Sufi traditions, and the theft has raised concerns over the security of monuments under ASI.