Renovation work at a temple in Vadodara took an unexpected turn this week when workers unearthed a potentially dangerous relic from the past. The discovery of a grenade caused a brief scare before authorities confirmed it was a decades-old, inactive device.
Discovery and Immediate Response
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, digging activities as part of the temple's renovation in the Mehboobpura area led to the startling find. Members of the local temple trust near Bhathiji Moholla, located across from the Mehboobpura police chowki in Navapura, immediately alerted the authorities upon discovering the object.
The police swiftly cordoned off the area and called in the experts. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) arrived at the spot to assess the situation. After a thorough inspection, the squad provided much-needed relief to the anxious residents by declaring the grenade "inactive" and "dead."
A Relic from a Bygone Era
According to the BDDS analysis, the steel-bodied grenade was a historical artifact rather than an immediate threat. Ashok Rathwa, Assistant Commissioner of Police for C Division, elaborated on its origins. He stated that the grenade's design primarly appears to be at least 40 to 50 years old.
The device showed visible signs of damage and was caked in mud, indicating it had been buried for a very long time. This condition led the police to dismiss theories from some locals that it might have been placed there recently. "The possibility that someone left it there in the present time is remote," Rathwa affirmed.
Possible Origins of the Ordnance
Police officials have put forward two plausible explanations for how the gas grenade ended up at the site. One theory suggests it could be a remnant of a riot that occurred over four decades ago, possibly lobbed during the unrest and eventually buried and forgotten.
The other possibility is that it was part of an erstwhile police ammunition unit. The ACP mentioned that there might have been an old police chowki at the location in the past. Regardless of its specific origin, authorities have conclusively stated it is definitely not a new grenade and is a piece of local history, albeit a dangerous one in its time.
The swift action by the temple trust and the efficient response by the Vadodara police and BDDS ensured the situation was resolved safely without any disruption to public order.
