Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati claims the sexual abuse case against him is a conspiracy to defame him and suppress discussion of the Epstein files in India.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati protests a notice from the Magh Mela administration regarding his use of the 'Shankaracharya' title, alleging discrimination and questioning the presence of multiple Shankaracharyas from Puri at the event.
For the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the timing of Rath Yatra is a matter of scriptural injunction rather than convenience.
The Mela administration alleged that the Shankaracharya and his supporters broke a barricade on a pontoon bridge and moved towards the ghats, creating serious difficulties for the police in managing the situation.
A GST Deputy Commissioner, Prashant Kumar Singh, resigned in protest against Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand's remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, citing attempts to divide the nation on caste and religious lines.
The chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings resumed their journey to the Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, a day after the annual Rath Yatra festival began, following delays in rituals and adverse weather conditions.
The Ayodhya Police are intensifying their investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, preparing to seek custodial remand for three more accused. A Special Investigation Team's preliminary report found prima facie evidence of theft and pilferage during donation counting, with CCTV footage showing personnel concealing cash.
The Ayodhya Police are intensifying their investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, preparing to seek custodial remand for three more accused. A Special Investigation Team's preliminary report found prima facie evidence of theft and pilferage during donation counting, with CCTV footage showing personnel concealing cash.
A preliminary probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into alleged cash theft at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has revealed 'serious security lapses' and 'systematic' concealment of cash by staff, with around 70 suspicious incidents captured on CCTV.
A caste recalibration is simmering just below the surface in UP.
A day after his resignation was accepted by the Ram temple trust, its former general secretary Champat Rai on Tuesday said he would respond to all allegations of donation embezzlement after the SIT submits its final report, even as opposition parties alleged a "cover-up" and stepped up the demand for its dissolution.
'SIT means nothing because the BJP government of Uttar Pradesh and Ram Janmabhoomi Trust are the same people.'
Tensions between Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have drawn national attention in recent months.
On Sunday, February 15, 2026, Kashmiri Pandits offered special prayers at the Shankaracharya temple during Mahashivratri celebrations also locally known as Herath at the Shankaracharya mountain overlooking the Dal lake in Srinagar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders said the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case was a "slap on the face" of people who coined the term "saffron terror".
Amid the row, the mela administration issued a notice asking Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati to explain how he was using the title of Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth.
An investigation has been launched into the authenticity of the disability certificate of Prashant Kumar Singh, who resigned as GST Deputy Commissioner in protest against remarks made against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The probe was initiated following a complaint filed in 2021.
"The Maha Kumbh had already passed on Purnima. What is currently happening is the 'Sarkari Kumbh. The real Kumbh takes place in the month of Magh. The full moon of the Magh month had passed, and all the 'Kalpavasi' who were at the Kumbh had already left after the Purnima of Magh month," Shankaracharya said.
He said that just as there are rules related to religious conduct in mosques and churches, there are also traditional rules in Hindu religious places.
Alankar Agnihotri said several organisations of the upper-caste community would participate in the stir if the central government fails to withdraw the SC/ST Act by February 6.
Among heavy criticism of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks on Prayagraj's Mahakumbh, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj on Wednesday supported the CM, saying that the religious event has been mismanaged.
Jyotispeethadheeswar Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, who was scheduled to participate in the "Gau Dhwaj" hoisting programme at the Ram temple in Shimla, boycotted the event and did not visit the shrine.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand, who turned down the invitation to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, on Monday said Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Uddhav Thackeray is a victim of betrayal.
Many Dharmagurus attended the Shubh Ashirwad ceremony.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri on charges of indiscipline after he resigned from service in protest against government policies.
He said he would offer worship at the Ram temple only when the "shikhar" (topmost part) of the structure is fully constructed.
'Shankaracharyas look at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP through a political prism. This temple is not built on politics but on religion. Ram is our God'
'Are we expected to merely sit outside and applaud when the prime minister installs the idol of Ram Lalla?
Female students alleged that Saraswati used abusive language, sent obscene messages, and made unwanted physical advances.
Delhi Police on Monday questioned Chaitanyananda Saraswati in connection with allegations of sexual harassment of female students at Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management.
Sri Satya Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya, a 25-year-old Rig Vedic scholar from Andhra Pradesh, was anointed as the junior pontiff of the ancient Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam at a grand religious ceremony. The historic event took place on the auspicious Akshya Thritiya, attended by seers from across the country. The new acharya, known as Ganesha Sharma Dravid before his initiation into sanyasa, is the successor to the present Seer Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya. The event coincided with the 2534th Jayanti Mahotsavam (May 2, 2025) of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, who established Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in 482 BCE.
On Shankara Jayanti, Friday, May 2, 2025, Mahamandaleshwar Swami Sri Sri Vishwatamanand Saraswati and other sadhus conducted a special puja at the Shankaracharya temple in Srinagar for victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. They also prayed for peace and the long life of India's soldiers.
'Raj Thackeray is working at the behest of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.'
'The idol was not being worshipped for years. We decided to immerse it respectfully in the Ganga.'
The self-styled godman on the run after allegedly sexually assaulting several female students of a management institute in New Delhi, allegedly pressured them with threats of lower grades and lured them with promises of foreign trips, an officer said on Wednesday.
The Odisha government is working to secure copyright for the rituals of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to protect its traditional cultural expressions, following concerns over untimely celebrations by ISKCON and the declaration of a temple in Digha as 'Jagannath Dham'.
Soon after the verdict, celebrations broke out outside Lt Colonel Purohit's residence, where supporters burst firecrackers and distributed sweets to mark the court's decision.
Swami Swaroopanand, who was the Shankracharya of Dwarka, Sharda, and Jyotish Peeth, was not keeping well for over a year, his aide said.
Female students of Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management, Delhi were allegedly forced to visit the quarter of self-styled godman Swami Chaitanyananda Saraswati late at night and one of them was even forced to change her name, the FIR filed against him read.
The plea said there is a deliberate attempt to ensure that the proceedings before this court become infructuous and a person who is not qualified and is ineligible, unauthorisedly assumes the office.
