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🔴 RELIGIOUS CRIMES, BIG STORIES, ROWS
🔷 KEDARNATH PILGRIM DEATH – Kedarnath pilgrim death sparks controversy
Hemant Kumar had a heart attack and died in the valley before reaching Kedarnath. No helicopter came to take him to the hospital. The family said they had to wait hours just for people to come & bring the body down – in a palanquin!
🔷 KEDARNATH CHAOS Viral Video Shows Devotees Jumping Barricades, Pushing Each Other At Kedarnath Temple
🔷 TONGUE CUT – UP Woman Cuts Tongue, Makes Offering At Kali Temple For Husband’s Recovery
🔷 SACRED THREAD BANNED – ‘Inhuman act’: Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao condemns removal of sacred thread, hijab during CET
Students ordered to remove sacred thread & hijabs when taking CET exam in Karnataka!
🔷 KANTARA ROW – Ranveer Singh gets relief from court in Kantara controversy:Asked to visit temple and apologise within four weeks; HC hints at closing case
Actor, Ranveer Singh had mocked the Kantara movie Devata by making faces to imitate it and called it a ghost. An FIR was filed. Ranveer Singh apologized but now the court wants him to visit the Chamundi Hill Temple and apologize within 4 weeks.
🔷 MURTI AT SALON? ‘What kind of bhakti is this?’ Woman takes Lord Krishna idol for hair spa at salon, internet explodes
🔷 BODYBUILDER TEMPLE THEFT – Bodybuilder arrested for stealing jewellery from temple in Gurugram
The alleged drug addicted body builder stole a gold nose from a Durga temple in Gurugram.
🔷 WOMAN RENUNCIANT IN MAKE-UP! – ‘Asked 50 times before initiation’, says Sumananand Giri:Acharya Datar objects to no tonsure, makeup; Harsha says Ram chose her path
Harsha Richhariya is an ex model and anchor who just took sannyas. That’s where devotees renounce the world. Upon initiation they even do pinda daan – death rituals for their old life.
Sannyasis are suppose to have shaved heads – denoting that they’ve given up EGO and caring about PERSONAL APPEARANCE. Harsha Richhariya didn’t shave her head and is still wearing make-up – lipstick included! This indicates that Harsha Richhariya still cares about how she looks and is still in the bodily conception of life – incompatible with being a sannyasini.
Sannyas is also not something you jump into. A person has to live a certain religious life for YEARS before they can become a sannyassi. Just last year, Harsha Richhariya, was still a regular devotee.
🔷 ANOTHER NASHIK GODMAN Another ‘godman’ in Nashik faces allegations of sexual exploitation, booked
Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde (31). He allegedly told a 28 yo woman she was suffering from black magic. He reportedly sent her obscene texts, took her to a lodge & sexually exploited her. He took pics and threatened to use them against her if she complained!
🔷 DHIRENDRA SHASTRI ROW Dhirendra Shastri says, ‘Have 4 children, give one to RSS’:Says, ‘If playing the flute worked, the Mahabharata war would not have happened’
🔷 BHOJSHALA TEMPLE MOSQUE No proof that a temple was razed to erect a mosque at Bhojshala, Khurshid tells HC
🔷 GURUVAYUR MUSLIM ROW Tariq Ahmed held in Guruvayoor Devaswom rest house; security breach despite entry rules
Guruvayur Temple in Kerala prohibits non-Hindus and Non-Indians (even foreigners who practice Hinduism) from entering temple or temple owned hotel. A Muslim named Tariq Ahmed from Kashmir was staying at hotel owned by temple & handing out packets of sweets for Eid. He was arrested.
🔷 SABARIMALA HELICOPTER – Kerala police registers FIR after Coast Guard helicopter flies low Sabarimala temple’s Sannidhanam area
🔷 TEMPLE GUARD KILLED Security guard killed during temple robbery bid in Ranchi; BJP slams J’khand govt
🔷 JAGANNATH SERVITOR ARRESTED Puri Jagannath Temple Servitor Suspended Over ‘Immoral Activities’, Cybercrime Arrest
🔷 KRISHNA MURTI THROWN – Idol vandalised at Panchalingeshwara temple in Beltangady
A man named Ajay went into the temple and allegedly started ringing bells, took a Gopala Krishna murti, threw it to the ground – damaging it.
🔷 TEMPLE ELEPHANTS Kerala High Court Issues Notice On PIL Against Mistreatment Of Captive Elephants During Thrissur Pooram, Other Temple Festivals
🔷 TEMPLE JEWEL THEFT Man arrested for stealing jewellery from temple in Gurugram
🔷 MISUSING TEMPLE WEALTH Himachal High Court Stops Misuse Of Wealth At State’s Richest Temple, Maa Chintpurni
🔷 KASHI FILM REEL ROW Letter written to senior officials to probe, take appropriate action: Kashi Vishwanath Temple CEO on Tej Pratap Yadav’s reel
🔷 HINDU BANGLADESHI HANGED Minority group condemns brutal murder of Nayan Sadhu in Bangladesh
Nayan Sadhu worked at a Kali temple. He was called out of the temple by 2 people. His body was later found hanging from a tree in the forest. Another article
🔷 TEMPLE THIEF ASLEEP Unusual theft incident at Ranchi temple leaves villagers astonished
“A thief broke into a Kali temple to steal, but unexpectedly fell asleep while gathering items.”
🔷 KALI ROBBED! Temple burgled in Kendrapada village, robbers decamp with gold, silver, cash
The Dakhinakali temple in Odisha robbed. Thieves took a silver crown, ornaments, utensils – even the Goddess’ clothes!
🔷 KARNATAKA TEMPLES Supreme Court recalls order reserving judgment on validity of 1997 Karnataka law on temples control
🔷 BAN ELEPHANTS & FIREWORKS? Calls to do away with elephants, fireworks in temple festivals get louder in Kerala
🔴 TEMPLE NEWS, NON-CRIMES
🔷 TAMIL HYMNS AT CONSECRATION – List out steps taken to chant Tamil hymns at temple consecration, HR&CE dept told
🔷 HIDDEN NAVAGRAHA This Hidden Navgraha Temple Near Mumbai Feels Like A Riverside Slice Of Kerala Escape
🔷 BRAHMOTSAVAMS BEGIN Brahmotsavam Begins At Telangana’s Matsya Temple
“Brahmotsavam festivities commenced on Friday at Telangana’s only temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu’s Matsya (fish) incarnation”
🔷 TIRUMALA DONATION Bengaluru devotee donates jewels worth Rs 94 lakh to Tirumala temple
🔷 NARASIMHA BRAHMOTSAVAMS Penchalakona Temple Brahmotsavams amid Nature’s Splendour from April 27
🔷 STACKING BRICKS Telugu devotees bring brick ritual to Tiruvannamalai, temple authorities order removal
Devotees strap bricks with the wish to build their own house
🔷 BIHAR TEMPLE – Punaura Dham temple to be ready by Dec 2028: Samrat
🔷 CANDLES BANNED Candles banned at Tripureswari temple over fire safety concerns
🔷 SNAKE BITE! Snakebite At Sun Temple In Odisha’s Konark Leaves Woman Critical
“ A woman devotee was critically injured after being bitten by a snake during a religious visit to the Navagraha Temple in the premises of Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha’s Puri”
🔷 ASI RENOVATIONS ASI Completes Renovation Of Alampur Temples
🔴 FESTIVALS
🔷 SITA NAVAMI Sita Navami 2026: When is Sita Navami? Check date, time and significance
Birthday of Goddess Sita, wife of Lord Ram and an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Sita Navami aka Sita Jayanti is celebrated on Friday April 24th in the USA and April 25th in India.
🔷 BAGALAMUKHI JAYANTI – Tide of faith sweeps Baglamukhi shrine on jayanti as devotees throng temple
Baglamukhi is one of the ten Mahavidyas in Sri Vidya Shakta theology
🔷 NATARAJ FESTIVAL Chidambaram Nataraja Temple Chariot Festival celebrated with grand fanfare
🔷 POORAM HERALDING – Pooram heralding ceremony held amid heat and lingering grief in Thrissur
🔷 THRISSUR POORAM 2026 Thrissur Pooram 2026: Kanimangalam Sastha arrives first at Vadakkunnathan Temple to flag off grand rituals
Thrissur Pooram is celebrated at Kerala’s Vadakkunnathan Temple. It’s where temples from surrounding areas bring their deities on elephant to visit Shiva. It’s a grand gathering of multiple temple deities. There are elephant processions, drums, colorful umbrellas, fireworks and rituals.
Unlike temples in other states, what’s atop the elephant is not an utsava murti. What’s atop the elephant backs are THIDAMBUS. These are unique to Kerala. Thidambus are GOLDEN FACEPLATES where the spirit of God is invoked into. This is similar to the Tamil utsava murti. During the Thrissur Pooram festival, the visiting deities stay at pandals on the temple grounds.
🔴 PILGRIMAGES
🔷 KEDARNATH CAMERAS Uttarakhand deploys 90 cameras and control rooms to aid safe Kedarnath Yatra
These cameras will also pick up whether people bring phones to Kedarnath which are now banned.
🔷 1.24 LAKH PILGRIMS Over 1.24 lakh pilgrims visit Kedarnath Dham in four days
🔷 BADRINATH OPENS Badrinath Temple opens for devotees with Vedic chants — routes, how to register
🔴 CELEBS & POLITICIANS AT TEMPLES
🔷 KANIKA MAHESHWARI Kanika Maheshwari gets emotional as she revisits Vaishno Devi temple; says ‘I asked Mata Rani for a son and she gifted me my blessing’
🔷 WEST BENGAL GOVERNOR West Bengal Governor RN Ravi offers prayers at Kalighat Kali Temple on Poila Boishakh
🔷 NAGALAND GOVERNOR Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav attends Bhasma Aarti at Mahakaleshwar Temple
🔷 ABHISHEK SHARMA Abhishek Sharma loses footwear after visit to Shri Govind Dev Ji temple ahead of RR vs SRH IPL 2026 clash
🔷 KANGANA RANAUT “Justice for Bengal’s Daughters”, Kangana Ranaut Makes Waves During Kolkata Temple Visit
🔷 SHIVAJI STARS – Riteish & Genelia seek blessings at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Temple before ‘Raja Shivaji’ release
🔴 OVERSEAS HINDU NEWS
🔷 CANADIAN HATE CRIME Elderly Punjabi man pushed in Canada in alleged hate crime:Masked Canadian youth abused him saying, ‘Go to India’; arrested by police
🔷 BHAKTI MARGA TRAINING International Training for Pandits and Panditas in Germany Boosts Hindu Rites in the West
The Bhakti Marga group sees their guru, Paramahansa Vishwananda as an incarnation of God.
🔷 FIJI TEMPLE REBUILT Fiji PM Rabuka inaugurates rebuilt Hindu temple, Tavua Laxmi Narayan Mandir, calls it symbol of nation-building
The temple was destroyed by a cyclone.
🔷 CASTE OPPRESSION AUSTRALIA NSW Right-Wing Extremism Report: When Caste-Oppressed and Muslim Communities Are Finally Heard!
🔴 MISC: RELIGIOUS
🔷 BUDDHA RELICS Buddha relics to go public for the first time in India
🔷 RIVER: GODDESS OR VICTIM The river as goddess, the river as victim: When devotion becomes pollution
🔷 MEDICAL COLLEGE Bihar CM Inaugurates Janki Mahotsav, Names Medical College After Goddess Sita
🔷 SATYA SAI BABA Ekadasha Rudra Parayanam Marks Grand Finale At Prasanthi Nilayam
“Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi, witnessed the solemn offering of Ekadasha Rudra Parayanam on Saturday, marking the grand culmination of the nationwide Rudra Upasana conducted across the 12 revered Jyotirlinga Kshetras of India.”
Ekadasa Rudram is where the Rudram chant for Lord Shiva is chanted 11 times. It takes approximately 2 hours.
🔷 RELIGION IN BALI Beyond Beaches And Booze: The Bali No One Tells You About
🔷 DEVI INSPIRED SARI Meenakshi-inspired Kancheepuram sari weaves Madurai’s heritage into silk
🔴 MISC: NON-RELIGIOUS
🔷 DELHI’S HOMELESS GIRLS Rape, Beatings, Addiction: The Incalculable Burdens Borne by Delhi’s Homeless Girls
🔷 INDIA’S TERRACOTTA CAPITAL Gorakhpur: Your one-day itinerary to India’s terracotta Capital of Uttar Pradesh
🔷 DHIRENDRA KRISHNA SHASHTRI Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s Remarks On Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Trigger Row
🔷 MEENAKARI ART Jaipur’s Meenakari preserves royal heritage through intricate metal art
🔴 OTHER RELIGIONS
🔷 MUGHAL EMPIRE – April 21st was the 500th anniversary of the Mughal Empire in India
🔷 SIKH PARADE – Sikh Day Parade in New York City
Khalistan flags were there.
🔷 JAIN MUSEUM Samrat Samprati Museum of Jain Heritage Opens in Koba, Gujarat
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