On the 30th of June, a Temple in Old Delhi was desecrated by a Muslim mob on a rampage. It created quite the stir as it occurred at the National Capital. However, Temple Desecration occurs far more frequently than we would like to imagine. In this article, we document desecration of Temples across the country and attacks on them that have occurred since June, 2019.
1. Banda Veer Bahadur Singh Bairagi Statue and Kishordas Temple Desecration, Haryana
On the night of 3rd June, antisocial elements attacked Kishordas Temple at Khada village and also the statue of the Warrior. The legs of the horse statue at the Temple were smashed and the elements removed the sword from the Warrior’s hands and threw it aside. The religious sentiments of the villagers were hurt and it was suspected that the crime was committed with the communal atmosphere in the village.
2. Murtis vandalized, Bijnor
A few hours after Murtis at the Chamunda Mandir in Sabdalpur Teli village were vandalized by antisocial elements in the second week of June, Murtis in the Shiv Mandir at Pipalsana village were vandalized. The religious sentiments of the villagers were naturally extremely hurt as a consequence. The Police promised that the perpetrators will be identified and punished accordingly.
3. Murtis vandalized, Haryana
In Mitrol village at National Highway No. 19, Murtis at the Tulsi Kundam Mandir were vandalized by antisocial elements. Mahant Subedar Dubey informed the Police that on the night of 1-2 June, unidentified elements vandalized the Murtis of Lord Hanuman and Ganesha by pelting stones at them.
The villagers were angry and demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. The Police registered a case against unidentified individuals and launched an investigation into the matter.
4. Murtis vandalized, Rajasthan
In Binawala Dhani village of Dausa district, unidentified miscreamts vandalized Murtis of Lord Hanuman and Bhagwan Shiva at a local Mandir. As appears to be the norm, villagers demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and the Police promised strict action against the perpetrators.
5. Attempt to Vandalize Murti, Uttar Pradesh
A Muslim youth entered a Temple in Khatoli in July and attempted to break the Murti of Hanuman in it. He also abused the devotees worshipping at the Temple. The people present at the scene managed to get hold of the perpetrator but couldn’t prevent him from smashing the glass at the Temple. The Police came in and arrested him. The accused was identified as Musa.
6. Temple ransacked, Uttar Pradesh
Communal tensions prevailed in Rohanya village in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh in the first week of June after a Muslim mob ransacked a temple to oppose loudspeakers. The mob broke the loudspeaker and took away the idols of the temple along with them. Five men, Mehboob, Monis, Israel, Azaad and Alanoor have been arrested and a case was registered for trying to create enmity between religious groups.
7. Attack on Temple, Uttar Pradesh
A Muslim mob entered a temple in Ghasauli village, Meerut in the last week of June and beat up a group of Dalit men who had put up loudspeakers in the temple for playing devotional songs. The Muslim community had objected to the loudspeaker on temple premises, which is near a mosque after the men from Dalit community put them up.
Later, the mob attacked the temple and beat up the Dalit men with lathis and sticks. They also reportedly attacked them with a sharp object and even started pelting stones. Over half a dozen people inside the temple were injured and the communal tensions escalated.
Police officials from nearby thana arrived on spot and controlled the situation before matters escalate. The injured were moved to a hospital and six people, Akram, his brothers Karim and Saddam, Zulfikar s/o Sayeed, Abdul Rahim Pudhh Nawabuddin and Arif s/o Riyazuddin were arrested.
8. Mujibur Rehman posts obscene photos with Idols, Tamil Nadu
A 28-year old man named Mujibur Rahman was arrested in the second week of June by Trichy police in Tamil Nadu for posting obscene pictures he had clicked with ancient sculptures of women, a thousand-year-old architecture in Thanjavur Brihadeeswara temple.
The police officials arrested the youth after several Hindu devotees, heritage enthusiasts and activists complained over the sacrilege of idols at one of India’s greatest and oldest temples.
9. 25 Idols and Sculptures destroyed, Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu police have arrested five minor boys for allegedly breaking 25 cement idols and sculptures at the Periyanayaki Amman temple in Tiruvarur district. The minor boys were caught by the police after they broke into the temple to steal iron rods within the figures, which could then be sold off to purchase alcohol.
The incident occurred before the consecration ceremony at the temple was supposed to take place. The idols which were destroyed included those of Lord Murugan, Periyanayaki, Kala Bairava, while sculptures which were damaged were those of different animals.
10. Temple Desecration, Bulandshahar
In the first week of July, a man named ‘Irshad’ alias Irani had urinated on the Shivling in a Mahadev temple in city’s Jahangirabad neighbourhood. The man was immediately arrested by the Bulandshahr police after a complaint was filed by Bajrang Dal members against Irshad for trying to spoil the sanctity of the ancient Shiv temple.
