India News - Hindu Religious News 4-15-26

Jagannath Puri Servitor says Bengal will face punishment for building Jagannath Temple out of stone & not wood like in Puri! Daitapati Bhabani Das Mohapatra is the Chief Puri temple servitor.

🔷 PURI VS ISKCON Puri Jagannath temple says it may move court over ‘off-calendar’ festivals by ISKCON

Jagannath Temple says it may take ISKCON to court over it’s celebrations of Ratha Yatra not on same day as Puri’s festival.

“… concerns were voiced over ISKCON organising Rath Yatra and Snan Yatra at dates not aligned with prescribed religious tithis. Addressing reporters, Deb said such practices have hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath.”

🔷 HEMA MALINI TEMPLE ROW Hema Malini faces religious controversy over Puri Jagannath temple visit

FIR launched against actress, Hema Malini for going inside Jagannath Temple in Puri. They say because her late husband, Dharmendra converted to Islam before marriage and their wedding followed Islamic customs – she violated the rules of no Non-Hindus allowed inside Jagannath Temple in Puri.

Hema Malini was born Hindu and currently is a known Krishna worshiper.

The Jagannath Temple in Puri doesn’t allow inside, Non-Hindus or even Western converts who practice Hinduism. The Puri Temple defines “Hindu” by race – born Indian Hindu only.

The Jagannath Temple in Digha, West Bengal allows both non-Hindus and Western converts inside.

🔷 GODMAN RAPE CUSTODY Nashik court sends godman Kharat to seven-day judicial custody in third rape case

Nashik sends GodMan, Ashok Kharat to judicial custody in 3rd rape case!

🔷 KANTARA MIMICRY APOLOGY Ranveer Singh’s Kantara mimicry: Fresh apology in High Court, no remorse says complainant

🔷 KALAPANI PRIEST TRAVEL BAN Follow Temple Norms Barring Foreign-Returned Priests From Worshipping At Sringeri Sharada Peetham: AP High Court To State

Priest complains to court that another priest traveled abroad & was allowed to work in sanctum when rules say travel prohibited – Court says just follow tradition.

Kalapani is the rule that overseas travel causes you to lose your caste and you become impure due to contact with mlecchas. Orthodox temples enforce this rule because it’s in the shastras. If a priest crosses the ocean and leaves India, they’ve lost their Brahmin caste and can’t work as a priest upon returning to India. In the past, priests have sued temples upon returning to India. A temple will either deny the priest work or maybe have them perform purification rituals. It is common knowledge amongst South Indian priests that overseas travel will get you banned from working in Indian temples again. These cases have been in the news before.

In this case, the petitioner, a Sri Chakra Navavarana Archana Parayanadhar (PRIEST) at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devastanam – complained to the court that another priest traveled and was allowed to work again in the temple. It’s a SHAKTA temple but they have to abide by SMARTA rules made by a Shankaracharya of Sringeri Peetham. The court basically ruled – just follow tradition.

🔷 SAHARANPUR STATUE TENSION Tension erupt in UP’s Saharanpur after Sant Ravidas statue installed on disputed land

🔷 FESTIVAL OBSCENITY ROW Hindu society looks away, letting its festivals descend into obscenity and hate

🔷 VRINDAVAN BOAT CAPSIZE Vrindavan: Yamuna boat capsize, Punjab tourists dead; rescue underway

🔷 KANPUR TEMPLE THEFT 7 silver crowns worth Rs 3L stolen from Siddhi Vinayak temple in city

🔷 UJJAIN DEMOLITION CLASH Ujjain temple demolition protest: SI injured in stone pelting

🔷 TEMPLE GOLD RECOVERED Police nab inter-state gang, recover gold ornaments worth Rs 47.0 lakh

🔷 SEASHORE TEMPLE NOD Don’t build structures on seashore sans CRZ nod, Madras HC rules judge in temple case

🔷 TRIMBAKESHWAR DARSHAN SCAM Devotees duped at Trimbakeshwar: quick darshan scam unveiled

🔷 PATIA TEMPLE THEFTS Temple thefts in Bhubaneswar: Gold ornaments, idols, hundi cash stolen in Patia

🔷 VRINDAVAN BOAT DEATHS Vrindavan boat accident claims 13, including Devraha Baba Temple pilgrims

🔷 PILGRIMS TRUCK DEATHS Speeding truck runs over pilgrims in Gujarat’s Surendranagar, 7 killed

🔷 HINDUS HOARD SAYS CHRISTIAN Kerala Catholic priest’s ‘temples hoard money’ remark kicks up row

Kerala Catholic priest, Fr Paul Thelakat, says churches don’t hoard money – unlike Hindu temples! He says Christians use money for public service.

🔷 ANNADHANAM PIL BINNED PIL against annadhanam for Anna’s anniversary binned

🔷 RAMATEERTHAM IDOLS IMMERSED Decapitated Ramateertham idols immersed in Godavari

The Ram murtis were beheaded, immersed in a river then replaced. Now the new replacement murtis have been immersed in the Godavari River – suggesting something happened to them or possibly installation problem?

🔷 MINING TEMPLE THREAT HC steps in as illegal mining threatens 1,200-yr-old temple site

🔷 DEVASWOM TOILET SLAM Kerala High Court slams Devaswom Board over unclean toilets, contaminated water

🔷 NALANDA POLICE CLEARANCE After stampede at temple, Nalanda administration mandates police clearance for events

🔷 TEMPLE CHEATING RACKET Woman held for hospital-temple cheating racket

🔷 SHANKARACHARYA VS RAM TEMPLE Clash of traditions: controversy over symbolic flame monument at Ram Temple

Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, objects to proposed flame monument at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya – saying it’s not traditional.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati belongs to the SMARTA sampradaya that accepts Narayan (Vishnu) as 1 of 5 incarnations of Brahman.

The Ram Mandir belongs to the Ramanandi sampradaya, a VAISHNAVA sampradaya that accepts Ram as the Supreme Brahman incarnate.

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🔴 TEMPLE NEWS, NON-CRIMES

🔷 BANKE BIHARI VIP SECURITY UP: Banke Bihari panel to bar arbitrary movement of private security personnel on temple premises

🔷 DURGA TEMPLE HILL STABILITY NIRM studying stability of Indrakeeladri hill ahead of developing the Durga temple

🔷 RAM MANDIR SUBTEMPLES Sub-temples on Ram Mandir premises to open for devotees from April 14

🔷 GODAVARI PUSHKARAM WORKS First phase of Godavari Pushkarams works begins with temple renovations in Rajamahendravaram

🔷 KADRI KORAGAJJA WALK Devotees walk from Kadri temple to Koragajja shrine

🔷 BANKEY BIHARI STATUS QUO There will be no changes to present arrangements at Vrindavan’s Bankey Bihari temple: SC

🔷 GANPATI 900 KG SINDOOR 900 kg of sindoor was removed from Pune Kasba Ganpati after centuries

🔷 RAMTEK VESSEL UNEARTHED Ancient Bhonsle-era vessel unearthed at Ramtek temple site

🔷 TTD DONATION CRORE Devotee donates over Rs 1 cr to TTD’s Sri Venkateswara Pranadana Trust

🔷 CHANDANOTSAVAM CROWD PLAN AI disaster teams to manage 2L pilgrims at Chandanotsavam

🔷 SRISAILAM LEOPARD PANIC Leopard sighting near Srisailam temple sparks panic, forest officials assure no threat to devotees

🔷 KERALA MECHANICAL ELEPHANT PETA India donates life-size mechanical elephant ‘Thechikkottukavu Ananthapadmanabhan’ to Cheekamundi Sree Mahavishnu Temple in Kerala

🔷 TEMPLE MOVIE SHOOT REVENUE Lights, camera, revenue: Temple shoots bring Rs 71 lakh

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🔴 FESTIVALS

🔷 TIRUMALA UTSAVAMS BEGIN Bhashyakarla Utsavams begin on a religious note in Tirumala

The 19 day festival celebrates the acharya of the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya, Ramanuj Acharya. His Jayanti (appearance day) is celebrated on April 22nd.

🔷 MESHA SANKRANTI RITUALS Mesha Sankranti 2026: Date, Rituals, Surya Arghya & Solar New Year

This is the Hindu Solar New Year.

🔷 PURI SAHI JATA The legacy of Puri’s Sahi Jata: Odisha’s 800-year-old tradition of faith and strength

🔷 VALLABHACHARYA JAYANTI Vallabhacharya Jayanti 2026: Who Was He And Why Is He Revered?

Vallabhacharya was the founder of the Pushti Marg sect of Vaishnavism.

🔷 AKSHAYA TRITIYA GOLD Akshaya Tritiya 2026: Date, timings and why buying gold is considered auspicious

🔷 TN FESTIVAL IMPACT TN poll code casts shadow on festivals, folk artistes stare at income loss

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