Unidentified miscreants broke open the doors of the Jayantipur Kali Temple and stole the idol along with the gold ornaments adorning it last night, Rangiya police station Officer-in-Charge Jogendra Burman said.
A massive search operation has been launched and a dog squad pressed into service to nab the culprits.
The idol was gifted by Ahom King Lakshmi Singh to Ratneshwar Buzarbaruah, a resident of the area, in 1770 and whose descendants later donated it to the temple which is managed under the aegis of the state government.