Some miscreants reportedly attempted to dig the samadhi of Raja Hire Madakari Nayaka, the fifth Palegar of Nayaka dynasty, in the outskirts of Mayakonda village in Davanagere taluk in the wee hours on Monday.
According to the villagers, the miscreants attempted to dig the samadhi in search of gold, and other valuables of the Hire Madakari dynasty. It looked like the miscreants had performed Vamachara (tantric rituals) by placing eight eggs at eight sides (ashta dikku), tamarind powder, lemon and kumkum covering the samadhi, the villagers said.
The miscreants also removed the tiles fixed on the samadhi and dug nearly two-and-half feet deep. When they heard the movement of some villagers who were going to their lands to draw water on Sunday night, the miscreants left the pit and escaped, the police said.
Meanwhile, the police sniffer dog searched the samadhi, a nearby nursery and a garage at the Mayakonda village, before stopping near Mylaralingeshwara temple.
MLA Basavaraj Naik, who visited the village has urged the police to book the culprits at the earliest, some even observed rasta roko near Doddamagadi village against the apathy of the MLA in protecting the samadhi. Rural police are investigating the case.