A cultural festival at Badrinath Dham has ignited a major controversy due to a loud music and dance event, leading the Chamoli district administration to issue a show-cause notice to the Garhwal Scouts. Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and the Shankaracharya Math have strongly condemned the event, citing violations of cultural and religious decorum and the sanctity of the holy shrine.
The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Committee (DSGMC) has filed a police complaint against AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, alleging disruptions at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and the circulation of misleading videos. The complaint stems from an incident on Saturday where AAP-affiliated protesters entered the gurudwara premises during an anti-CEC protest, leading to chaos and alleged political activity within the sacred space. DSGMC claims this violated the sanctity of 'Guru Ghar' and hurt religious sentiments, further accusing AAP leaders of amplifying a distorted narrative.
A crucial meeting of around 250 seers and VHP functionaries in Ayodhya will address issues concerning the Ram temple, including ensuring adherence to Vaishnav-Ramanandi traditions, restoring devotee confidence after an alleged donation theft, and deliberating on the Trust's management. The meeting follows deferred decisions by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on key appointments.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal underwent a 90-minute surgery for a 'kirpan' attack injury sustained inside a gurdwara in Nanded and is now stable, with doctors repairing a tendon and ulnar artery nerve.
A controversy has erupted in Odisha after Lord Jagannath's idol was moved from the Puri temple to the chariot during the Rath Yatra without its traditional 'Tahia' floral headgear, leading to strong criticism from opposition parties BJD and Congress against the BJP government.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal sustained a minor injury to his right hand after being attacked with a kirpan by a Nihang member inside a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra. The assailant has been arrested, and SAD leaders are demanding a CBI probe into what they term an intelligence failure.
'Our new film, Shri Ram Bhoomi, begins shooting today in Ayodhya. How can any new work begin without the blessings of Ram Lalla and Lord Hanuman?'
Police have registered a case against unidentified individuals for allegedly setting off fireworks near the Kedarnath temple and sharing the video on social media. This action follows several incidents of controversial videos being filmed at the shrine since the Kedarnath Yatra began.
A Christmas event scheduled to be held at a hotel run by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar has been cancelled following objections from Hindu outfits, a hotel official said on Monday.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former MP Vinay Katiyar on Friday said he has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Ram temple donations' theft issue and he "expressed concern".
According to the recommendations, reviewed by Business Standard, any dress code shall always be akin to Hindu culture.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that the people of the state rejected traditional parties in 2022 and will not allow their return. He criticised the BJP for alleged misuse of central agencies and the Akali Dal-BJP alliance, calling it fatal. Mann also slammed the Congress for internal rivalries and lack of vision for Punjab.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has implemented extensive security and logistical arrangements, including AI-based CCTV monitoring, biometric verification, and police escorts, to ensure the smooth, secure, and transparent conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
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.
Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has announced that the newly enacted anti-sacrilege law in Punjab leaves no loopholes for offenders to escape justice. The law proposes stricter punishment, including life imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 25 lakh, for any act of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
Hindu seers in Uttarakhand have urged the state government to ban non-Hindus from participating in the Kanwar Yatra and operating businesses along the pilgrimage route.
Activist Gurjeet Singh Khalsa ended his 560-day protest atop a BSNL tower after the Punjab government notified a stricter anti-sacrilege law. Khalsa had been demanding stricter laws against sacrilege incidents in Punjab.
The Punjab Assembly has unanimously passed a bill proposing stricter punishment, including life imprisonment and a fine up to Rs 25 lakh, for any act of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
Authorities in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir have issued an order regulating the collection of donations during Ramzan to prevent unauthorized fundraising and ensure transparency.
The Supreme Court has refused to entertain pleas against the Kerala High Court order dismissing petitions challenging the Travancore Devaswom Board's decision to conduct a global conclave of Ayyappa devotees.
A controversy has erupted in Mysuru over the ownership of Chamundi Hill, home to the Chamundeshwari Temple, ahead of the Dasara festival. Pramoda Devi Wadiyar of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family criticized Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's statement that the hill is not the property of Hindus alone, leading to a heated exchange and raising questions about the nature of the upcoming Dasara celebrations.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday claimed that Muslims are selling puja items at various Hindu pilgrimage sites by 'concealing' their identity and urged all state governments to take effective steps to prevent them from running such shops 'so that the faith of Hindus is not hurt'.
A massive controversy is raging in Jammu and Kashmir after a plaque with the Ashoka emblem was vandalised in the Hazratbal shrine as parties on Saturday accused Waqf Board chief Darakshan Andrabi of hurting religious sentiments by using the national emblem in the mosque and demanded registration of a criminal case and her immediate removal.
The Army Tuesday said no air defence guns or any other air defence resource were deployed within the Golden Temple premises during Operation Sindoor.
"There are many people who utter so many things in sleep which do not make any sense," he said adding, talaq has to be given in "full senses in order to have religious sanctity."
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple, has barred 18 employees from participating in all religious activities for allegedly partaking in non-Hindu activities. The decision has been defended by the Andhra Pradesh government, citing the need to protect the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees. The move has sparked debate, with some supporting the TTD's stance and others criticizing it as discriminatory.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have criticised the government for issuing the order to control communal tension in Dhubri town.
The Delhi Police will investigate claims by TMC MP Mahua Moitra that right-wing individuals attempted to force the closure of fish shops in South Delhi's Chittaranjan Park. Moitra posted videos and messages alleging the incident, while Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva denied the claims and called for community harmony. The police are verifying the incident's authenticity and the market's licensing status.
Law enforcement officials from the US Department of Homeland Security have started visiting gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey to check for the presence of illegal immigrants, drawing a sharp reaction from some Sikh organisations which see such actions as a threat to the sanctity of their faith. The Trump administration has rescinded the Biden administration's guidelines that protected places of worship from immigration enforcement actions, leading to concerns that gurdwaras are being targeted. Sikh organisations argue that gurdwaras are not just places of worship but also vital community centres and that surveillance and raids by armed law enforcement would burden religious exercise and limit the ability of Sikhs to gather and associate with one another.
A total of 750 pilgrims have been selected through a computerised draw for the upcoming Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet, marking the resumption of the pilgrimage after a five-year gap. The Yatra's resumption is seen as an attempt to normalize India-China relations, which were strained by the eastern Ladakh border standoff. The pilgrimage will begin in June and continue until August, with pilgrims traveling in five batches via the Lipulekh route and ten batches via the Nathu La route. The selection process was deemed "fair, computer-generated, random, gender-balanced" by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which organized the pilgrimage.
The Supreme Court on Friday junked a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus under the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime.
Temples across Maharashtra are increasingly adopting dress codes for visitors, urging devotees to wear modest and traditional attire. While temple trusts argue that these codes maintain sanctity, visitors have mixed reactions. The trend, which started with the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple in Mumbai, has spread to other temples, including those in Pune, Ratnagiri, and Ahilyanagar. The move has been welcomed by some, who believe it promotes respect and decorum within religious spaces. However, others argue that it is unnecessary and restrictive. Right-wing organizations are advocating for similar dress codes across all temples in Maharashtra, including prominent state-run temples like the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.
Religious rights of every person are subject to "public order", the Supreme Court said on Monday while dismissing the plea of a man seeking to exhume the body of his son, who was dubbed a terrorist and killed in an encounter in Kashmir in November 2021, so the family could conduct his last rites in the same graveyard.
Some of his directives had the Supreme Court judges disclose their assets whereas the row over the discovery of cash from a sitting judge's official residence paved way for inquiry.
Fish sellers of Chittranjan Park found themselves in a state of disbelief last week when the anti-meat overdrive of the Hindu right hit the local markets with a warning to shut shops because they were close to a temple.
Archana Makwana, however, has apologised for her actions and said she never intended to hurt anyone's religious sentiment.
A court in Punjab's Mohali has sentenced self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Kumar pronounced the verdict on Tuesday. Bajinder was found guilty under sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered on a complaint filed by a woman at the Zirakpur police station in Mohali in 2018.
The highlights of the 'bazaar' in 2005 were the free health fare, cultural arts entertainment, children's fancy dress parade, magic show for children, various vendors offering sale of fine clothing, costume jewellery, books, services and specialties.
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
Acharya Satendra Das, the chief priest of the makeshift temple at the dispute site in Ayodhya, alleged that VHP's yatra from here was politically motivated and not religious and that saints were being used for "vested interests".
