MORE than 50 people of all faiths joined together to bid farewell to an 800-year-old Hindu statue before it leaves Oxford.

Members of Oxford Hindu Temple organised the ceremony on Tuesday at the Town Hall where the statue of Ganesha has been since October as part of the Oxford Museum’s anniversary 40 Years, 40 Objects exhibition.

Temple chairman Dr Gyan Gopal said the event had been a great success. He said: “We had at least 50 people – a real mix of all faiths and communities.

“It was a spiritual ceremony and we sang some Hindu hymns.”

The statue, carved in Orissa, India, in the 13th century, was brought to the British Museum more than 100 years ago under the Raj.

Museum directors have sent it on a nationwide tour this year to celebrate what is believed to be the 800th anniversary of its creation.

When it leaves Oxford on Saturday it will head north to Manchester and Bradford.

Ganesha, one of the most popular Hindu deities, is depicted with an elephant’s head on a human body. The statue was included in the exhibition among objects chosen by Oxford residents to reflect their community.