Durga Maa idol desecrated, hands severed by unknown miscreants in temple
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India 
9 October, 2024
Case Summary
On October 10, 2024, an idol of Maa Durga was vandalised at the Mari Mata temple in Neelmatha, Lucknow, with the hand of the idol severed. The damage was discovered by the temple priest during morning puja, prompting him to alert local residents, which led to a large crowd gathering at the scene. Tensions escalated among the Hindu community following the desecration, leading the police to intervene. Inspector Gurpreet Kaur confirmed that a case had been registered. According to police reports, the miscreants used a grinder machine to sever the idol's hand. ACP Abhay Pratap Mall stated that the situation was resolved and that a new idol had been installed in the temple.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category 'Attack on Hindu religious symbols'. Under this, two sub-categories have been chosen, The first is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category under which this case has been placed is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. In this case, the perpetrators vandalised the temple and desecrated the idol of Maa Durga placed in the temple. Such attacks on the premises of a temple that aim to cause harm to the temple or its devotees demonstrate the inherent Hindumisia that perpetrators harbour inside them. For this reason, this case qualifies for inclusion in the hate tracker database. It is also important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
