Jump to a Section: Click the links 📰 below to skip to the part you’re most interested in.
🔴 RELIGIOUS CRIMES, BIG STORIES, ROWS
🔷 SABARIMALA GOLD CROWN STOLEN! – Gold Crown Offered By Devotees Goes Missing From Sabarimala Temple, Fake Replica Found In Storeroom
The gold crown was donated by devotees in 2012. This is the latest in a series of scandals afflicting the Sabarimala Temple of Lord Ayyappa.
🔷 HINDU DEATH PENALTY IN ARABIA Sri Lankan Tamil migrant worker sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over Facebook post
Sri Lankan Tamil migrant, Sivarasa Anojan, made a comment on a post about a Muslim man kicking a dog while Hindus doing pilgrimage to a Murugan temple. His comment was seen as blasphemous to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. He’s sentenced to death. Here’s another article: Hindu Munnani urges PM Modi to intervene over Sri Lankan Tamil’s Saudi death sentence
🔷 MAHABHARAT ACTOR ARRESTED Saurav Gurjar arrested: Mahabharat actor sent to 14-day judicial custody after woman alleges sexual exploitation
Actor & wrestler, Saurav Gurjar, played Bhima in Star Plus’ Mahabharat alongside Sourabh Raaj Jain. Gurjar was remanded to police custody in Hyderabad for 14 days jail.
A USA woman says they met on Instagram. Saurav Gurjar told her he was married, they had an affair, he allegedly convinced her to quit her job in USA & come to India to start business with him. She said when subject of marrying her comes up, he’s silent. She filed a police complaint & he was arrested at Mumbai airport and taken to Hyderabad for 14 days remand.
In India, it’s illegal to give false promises for sex. This is a law that’s used to jail Muslims who the state says gives false promises of marriage then stipulate conversion. Ironic that one of the biggest Hindu religious stars gets entrapped in it.
Note – this is her side of the story. When his side comes out, we’ll publish.
🔷 BIRTHDAY TEMPLE VISIT ENDS IN RAPE Birthday outing turns into nightmare: Kalkaji gangrape survivor recounts horror
The 21 yo girl went to Delhi’s Kalkaji Temple with her male friend. Afterwards they went to park to sit. 3 men posed as police officers, separated girl from friend & allegedly gang raped her.
🔷 BHAJAN JAMMING OUTSIDE BADRINATH ROW! Badrinath’s Army-Backed Cultural Event Sparks Debate Over Loud Music At Char Dham
Badrinath is a Char Dham Vishnu temple where the deity in meditative pose. Even blowing conch shells not allowed. The bhajan jamming was right outside temple entrance sms complete with singing, dancing and amplified music.
🔷 105 THEFTS IN RAM COUNTING ROOM Special Investigation Team identifies 105 theft instances in Ayodhya Ram temple counting room
🔷 RAM CHARGE SHEET Ram Temple ‘fund theft’ case: Charge-sheet filed in court amid ruckus by lawyers, no mention of Champat Rai
🔷 RAM DONATION THEFT CCTV shows Avinash Shukla stealing Ram Temple donation 85 times: SIT charge sheet
🔷 SAMBHAL JAMA MASJID ROW Supreme Court Reserves Order On Sambhal Jama Masjid Committee’s Plea Challenging Mosque Survey
Some Hindus say the Sambhal Jama Masjid in UP was really built atop a demolished HariHara temple. Matter in court, survey was done. Court finished hearing mosque Committee’s challenge to survey & will rule later.
🔷 MORE CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS TO TN Assam begins process to send five more captive elephants to Tamil Nadu temples, sparking outrage after Jayamala abuse row
After Assamese elephant, Jayamala was abused in a Tamil Nadu temple, the Assam govt wanted her back. Story created national row. Now after that fiasco, Assam is sending MORE elephants to Tamil Nadu! Make it make sense!
🔷 ANCIENT MURTI IN FARM FIELD! 900-year-old Ganesh sculpture found in Rameshwaram Banda
“Lying untended amid the high grass of a farm field at Rameshwaram Banda, a five-foot-tall stone Ganesh sculpture quietly carries the imprint of a bygone era.”
🔷 800 YO TEMPLE ROW
ASI restrictions hinder repair of 800-year-old Baijnath Shiva temple
🔷 STRANGLED WITH DUPATTA
Honour killing case: Man gets life term for murder of daughter in Sonepat
🔷 PILGRIM TROLLEY OVERTURNS Tractor-Trolley Carrying Pilgrims Overturns In Haryana’s Kurukshetra, 6 Dead
🔷 RELIGIOUS VISIT TURNS TO FARMHOUSE GANG RAPE! Amroha Gang-Rape Case: Woman Allegedly Gang-Raped At MLA-Linked Farmhouse, 2 UP Cops And 2 CRPF Personnel Arrested
Haryana woman planned to visit religious sites in Amroha. Female acquaintance puts her in touch with CRPF officer. He drives her and picks up 3 other security personnel. They allegedly take her to a farmhouse & gang-rape her.
🔷 BABY THROWN AT TEMPLE 6-month-old baby injured after being thrown at Gurgaon temple; police probe underway
🔷 2018 TEMPLE MURDER Panipat court awards life imprisonment in 2018 temple murder case
🔷 TEMPLE REPLACED WITH YOGA CENTER! State approves Mahakal Yoga Centre in Siliguri, replaces temple plan
Kolkata: A proposed Mahakal temple at Matigara in Siliguri, for which the foundation stone was laid in Jan this year by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee is set to be replaced by Mahakal Yoga Centre.
🔷 JAGANNATH LAND SETTLEMENT Odisha Builds an E-Portal for Shree Jagannath Temple Land Settlement
🔷 LALBAUG GANESH PANDAL DEATH Mumbai: Man Falls Unconscious In Lalbaug, Declared Dead at Hospital
🔷 TEMPLE LAND CONTESTED HC bins landholders’ claim over temple lands
“The Telangana high court has dismissed a writ petition filed by a group of landholders seeking ownership rights over 42 acres of disputed agricultural land and the Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy temple located on it in Chinaravalpalle village of Bibinagar mandal in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, holding that questions relating to land title must be adjudicated by a competent civil court.”
🔷 DALIT TEMPLE ENTRY CELEBRATION Centenary of Dalit entry into temple to be organised in Tirupati
🔷 VHP ON MARRIAGES Keralam: VHP pushes caste-neutral, horoscope-free marriages & plans matrimonial portal; Urges temple entry reforms
🔴 TEMPLE NEWS, NON-CRIMES
🔷 TIRUMALA VIRTUAL REALITY & MUSEUM Tirumala pilgrims to experience high-tech spiritual journey as new experience centre, upgraded museum to open soon
Tirumala pilgrims to experience virtual reality while waiting in queue consisting of temple related content. New Venkateswara museum coming soon.
🔷 OPENED AFTER 34 YEARS Sheetalnath Temple reopens in Srinagar: A new dawn for Kashmiri Pandits’ homecoming
🔷 WISHES FULFILLED IN 40 DAYS This 200-year-old temple in Salem, Tamil Nadu is believed to fulfil wishes in 40 days; know the story and how to reach
Arulmigu Vennankodi Muniyappa Swamy Temple in Salem, TN. Muniyappa is a Gramma Devata or guardian deity of the AREA.
🔷 TEMPLES & POLITICS Fairs, temples are part of our culture and must be kept above politics: Himachal Dy CM Agnihotri
🔷 CHINNAMASTA TEMPLE EXPANSION
Mata Chintpurni shrine expansion project set to take off after HP government acquires four shops
🔷 KEDARNATH GARBAGE Kedarnath generates 50.3 tonnes of waste in 5 months, 2.5 times last year’s total
🔷 BLIND CURED AT NAINA DEVI Punjab family offers silver eyes at Naina Devi temple after son regains vision
🔷 NEW ELEPHANT Vaitheeswarankoil temple gets new elephant, Muthaiya, after 23 years
🔷 ANOTHER NEW TEMPLE ELEPHANT Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple receives eight-year-old elephant Hiralal from Assam
🔷 ROCKFALL AT DURGA TEMPLE Fresh rockfall triggers safety review of Durga temple ghat road ahead of Dasara
Vijayawada.
🔴 FESTIVALS
🔷 PITRU PAKSHA – HONORING ANCESTORS Pitru Paksha 2026: Dates, timings and what to do during the 15-day period Another article
🔷 DURGA PUJA Kolkata Durga Puja To Showcase ‘Ram Tattoos’ Of Chhattisgarh’s Ramnami Community
🔷 GANESH IMMERSIONS Ganesh immersion processions begin across Mumbai: Watch visuals from Lalbaugcha Raja’s main gate
🔷 POPULAR GANESH MURTIS BEGIN IMMERSION
Ganpati Visarjan 2026: Lalbaugcha Raja, Khairatabad Ganesh lead immersion processions across India
🔷 KARNATAKA VISARJAN Belagavi city bids emotional adieu to Ganapati idols amid grand processions
🔷 BAGH SAVARI – Watch: Spectacular Bagh Savari Procession In Tirumala
🔷 GANESH BUILT FROM TIC TACS CANDY Family builds Ganesha statue out of 4,500 Tic Tacs
🔴 CELEBS & POLITICIANS AT TEMPLES
🔷 GAUTAM ADANI Gautam Adani offers prayers at Kalighat Temple ahead of mega hospital foundation-laying event
🔷 SUNITA AHUJA – Sunita Ahuja gets emotional at Kali Temple amid husband Govinda affair: ‘Mera ghar toot raha hai for no reason…’
🔴 LISTS
🔷 7 CULTURAL FESTIVALS
7 Cultural Festivals In India Worth Planning A Trip Around
🔷 10 UNESCO SITES
10 Lesser-Known UNESCO Sites In India For Stunning Photography
🔴 OVERSEAS HINDU NEWS
🇬🇧 UK GANGA AARTI’S HINDUTVA ROOTS Har Har ‘Thames’: Hindutva’s Performance of Religion Abroad
🇧🇩 BANGLADESH SECULARISM Everyday secularism and the Bangladesh we rarely talk about
🇱🇰 BARRING WORSHIP Sri Lankan police fail in court bid to bar Hindu worship at Vedukkunaari
🔴 MISC: RELIGIOUS
🔷 NEPAL’S KUMARI PUJA
When girls become goddesses: Inside Nepal’s sacred Kumari Puja tradition
🔷 KERALA TEMPLE TOWN Thrissur’s golden run: Kerala’s temple town enters India’s elite rich list
🔷 GANESH LADOO AUCTION
Attapur Ganesh laddu fetches record ₹13.2 lakh
🔷 TEMPLE JEWELRY ‘Sacred by Zaveri’ creates a new consumer touchpoint for Zaveri Bros’ temple jewellery
🔷 FIREWORKS EFFECTING TEMPLES ASI experts to assess impact of Thrissur Pooram fireworks on Vadakkumnathan Temple
🔴 MISC: NON-RELIGIOUS
🔷 TRIBAL IDENTITY Who Is Indigenous? The Politics of Tribal Identity Terminology in India and Bangladesh
🔷 PARTITION, CAA & HINDUS Partition, Migration and CAA: Reconciling ‘2.5–3 Crore’ Hindus Claim with the Data
🔷 KALI 2898 AD
Nag Ashwin sees vast sci-fi potential in mythology beyond ‘Kalki 2898 AD’
🔷 INDIA’S MONKEY PROBLEM Monkeys Aren’t Eating Just Bananas: How Human Food Is Changing Their Behaviour
🔷 ISIS TARGETING SOUTH INDIA? ISIS targeting South India? Intelligence agencies intensify surveillance on secret small radicalisation meetings
🔷 BAT EVOLUTION Study reveals 65-million-year evolutionary history of bats
After Covid, I think we all need to learn more about bats!
🔴 OTHER RELIGIONS
🔷 BUDDHIST MADHU PURNIMA Buddhists Celebrate Madhu Purnima Tomorrow
🔷 JAIN – ELEPHANT CHAINED 33 YEARS URGENT: Act Now to Help Elephant Madhuri Return to Her Sanctuary Home
A court has ruled that Madhuri the elephant will be sent back to a Jain temple that kept her chained in a shed, alone for 33 years! The temple is the Swastishree Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan, commonly called Nandani Math.
About the Author
