An FIR has been registered in Haldwani against unknown persons following an alleged "purification ceremony" at Ramlila Maidan after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's public meeting. The complaint, filed by Congress leader Anju Arya, alleges caste discrimination and social humiliation. The Uttarakhand High Court has been assured of an investigation, and Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallu Ravi, have demanded action, with Ravi filing a separate complaint in Delhi.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is conducting a 10-day purification ritual, including the recitation of Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra, to 'atone' for a recent donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram Temple complex and 'seek forgiveness' from the Almighty.
An FIR has been registered against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani following a complaint from a Valmiki community member. The complaint alleges Gandhi gave a casteist interpretation to a religious ritual performed after an AICC chief's programme, hurting community sentiments. The case involves provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, stemming from a political row over a 'purification yajna' at a rally venue.
The committee also decided to recommend to the government to amend the Guruvayur Devaswom Act for removal of the clause, which empowered the 'thanthri' (traditional high priest) as the supreme authority of religious matters.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the BJP of being 'anti-religion' following an alleged 'purification' ritual after his speech in Uttarakhand, and challenged the ruling party's claims of patriotism, questioning their involvement in India's independence struggle.
Congress workers protested and performed a purification ritual after statues of Kakori incident martyrs were allegedly demolished and dumped in Shahjahanpur, India, sparking outrage and demands for an investigation.
Following public outrage, she reportedly deleted the post and issued an apology.
A video of Sattar's visit to the Shiva temple in Rahimabad in his assembly constituency Sillod on the occasion of Mahashivratri on Sunday went viral on social media, triggering protests from the BJP and other outfits.
A tribal couple in Odisha's Rayagada district was allegedly forced to plough a field with a yoke placed on their shoulders as a form of public punishment for marrying against community traditions.
The four-day Chhath Puja festival began on Saturday with the Nahay-Khay ritual, marking the start of prayers to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, celebrated with devotion, discipline across India.
According to the Pune city police, the FIR has been filed under provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1959, for allegedly violating restrictions applicable to protected monuments.
A controversy has erupted in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, regarding the reinstallation of statues of Kakori Action martyrs. Questions are being raised about whether the statues are new or repaired old ones after they were allegedly demolished. The incident has led to political accusations, protests, and police investigation.
According to temple sources, the priest insisted on the ritual despite the foreigner's claim that he had embraced Hinduism and changed his name to Pranavahi
Wedding celebrations are in full swing for actor Allu Sirish and his bride, Nayanika Reddy.
Allu Sirish and Nayanika's wedding festivities have officially commenced with a traditional pelli koduku ceremony in Hyderabad.
Makar Sankranti is one of the year's first festivals of India. The country joyfully kicks off the year with a tapestry of colours and traditions: Gujarat's soaring kites. Punjab's blazing bonfires. Tamil Nadu's bubbling Pongal pot....
As the controversy continues to reverberate nationwide, various quarters are demanding steps to safeguard the sanctity of Hindu temples and their 'prasadam'.
Four women activists tried to offer prayers at the famous Shani temple in Ahmednagar district where the move last month by a woman to defy convention and offer obeisance at the shrine triggered a debate on gender discrimination.
SIT chief Sukhwinder Singh visited the Shiva temple, one of 12 jyotirlingas in the country, examined relevant CCTV camera footage and met the temple's trustees.
The woman climbed the security barricade to the 'chauthara' (platform) where the idol is installed and offered prayers on Saturday, before disappearing in the crowd.
A Shiv temple in Ludhawala, a predominantly Muslim locality in Muzaffarnagar, was reopened on Monday after being closed for over 30 years. The temple, built in 1971, was shut down during the communal tensions triggered by the Ayodhya incident in 1992. The reopening ceremony was conducted peacefully with a 'havan' and local Muslims showering flowers on a procession of Hindu activists. The event was marked by a display of harmony, highlighting the importance of religious tolerance and understanding.
A day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati claimed that Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi goes through purification rituals after he visits a Dalit home, Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Tuesday termed her utterances as utterly baseless."Ye sab betuki batein hain (all this is baseless). How can Mayawati know that Rahul is bathed with special soaps? Has she seen this?" he said.
Barring entry to non-Hindu devotees should be construed as 'contempt on Hindu religion' and anyone who is ready to follow the temple traditions should be allowed to worship, Bhattathiripad said.
The BJP leader said even the the officials of the municipal corporation were subjected to the purification process as "they were under the influence of impurity" and were "forced to indulge in corruption".
Acharya Jonas Masetti, a Vedanta scholar from Brazil, was awarded the Padma Shri for teaching the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, Sanskrit, Yoga, Meditation and Indian spiritualism abroad.
The controversy has sparked reactions across states. The famous Mankameshwar temple in Uttar Pradesh has now banned offerings of 'prasad' bought by devotees from outside and said they can offer homemade 'prasad' or fruits.
Prayagraj is a must-visit place in 2025, but in January and February you can't miss the Maha Kumbh, a spectacular event like no other.
Elaborate arrangements including a special traffic plan have been chalked out for Maghi Purnima on Wednesday and health personnel have been put on alert for the occasion when the month-long 'kalpavas', an integral tradition of the Maha Kumbh, comes to an end.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday urged the administration in Ahmednagar district to initiate dialogue with the women activists, who were detained and later released by the police for marching towards the Shani Shingnapur temple.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said a "new tradition" of levelling allegations and counter-allegations being observed in Parliament and state Assemblies these days is not proper for the country's constitutional democracy, and stressed the need for constructive debate and discussion in Houses to make democracy "lively and active".
In the plea, one of the women, who had been attacked by her mother-in-law following her entry into the hilltop shrine, has sought security for both the women.
The priest informed that seven rooms of the CM's residence were 'purified'.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices L N Rao and Dinesh Maheshwari said it was only going into the aspect of security of the two women and would not like to entertain any other prayer made in the petition.
Temple priest performed a 'purification' ritual for an hour before the doors were opened again.
India is currently dealing with a devastating second COVID-19 wave that has swept through the nation, crushing the country's health infrastructure and overburdening frontline medical workers.
The green panel said that innocent people drank and bathed in the river with reverence, without knowing that it may adversely affect their health.
In a boost to gender equality campaign, the Bombay high court on Wednesday observed that if men are allowed in a place of worship then women should also be permitted as no law prevents them from doing so.
'Had their blood fallen on the floor of the temple, that would have forced the priests to shut the shrine for three days for purification rituals'
The petitioner submitted an application in the court of the Civil Judge on Monday seeking permission for 'purification' of the sanctum sanctorum of the Keshav Dev temple, which he claimed was inside the mosque, his counsel said.
As per tradition, only men were allowed entry daily between 6-7 am into the area where the main 'linga' is placed, that too by putting on a specific gear called the sovala (silk clothing).
