Two Durga Puja pandals set ablaze amid sacred festival celebrations, Hindu temple lights also vandalised in Ara, Bihar
Arrah, Bihar, India 
12 October, 2026
Case Summary
In Bhaluhipur, near Khara Kuan, in Ara, Bhojpur district, Bihar, two Durga Puja pandals were targeted in attempts to set them ablaze, with the rear portion of one pandal burnt, while decorative series lights at a temple were also broken and damaged. The incidents occurred during the intervening night of 12 October 2026 and 13 October 2026, between approximately 2:00 am and 2:30 am, according to residents. The temple and puja pandals in the area had been decorated, and residents had completed preparations for the Durga Puja celebrations before returning home for the night. Unidentified individuals subsequently attempted to set fire to two pandals at different locations within approximately 300 metres of one another. A motorcycle was also burnt during the incidents. One of the pandals sustained partial fire damage to its rear or outer portion, including its plastic tarpaulin covering. Resident Munna Pandey, who lives in Ward No. 31, said initial information suggested matches were used to start the fire. The decorative series lights installed at a temple in the Mathiya locality were also broken or damaged. When residents discovered the fires, they gathered at the affected locations and worked together to extinguish the flames with water. Munna Pandey reached the pandal area after receiving information about the incident. Eyewitness Uma Pandey said the acrid smell of smoke woke her family around 2:30 am. When they rushed outside, they saw the outer portion of a puja pandal and a motorcycle burning. Residents and members of the Puja Samiti extinguished the fire before it spread to nearby houses, other decorations, or additional property. They expressed anger over the incidents and demanded the identification and arrest of those responsible. Mohan Yadav said the incidents were intended to disrupt the Durga Puja atmosphere, adding that the residents had no known enmity with anyone. Following the incident, Ara Town Police Station, also known as Nagar Thana, received information and sent police personnel to the location. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sushil Kumar, designated SDPO-1 of Ara Sadar, visited the spot with the Town Station House Officer, Inspector Devraj Rai, and other police personnel. Police began investigating the attempted fires at the two pandals and the damage to the temple decorations. Police examined CCTV footage from cameras in and around the locality to identify those involved. Police lodged a complaint at Ara Town Police Station. Police personnel also patrolled the area on motorcycles to prevent further disturbances, while Puja Samiti members were asked to keep watch near their respective pandals, particularly at night, and cooperate with the police. Town Station House Officer and Inspector Devraj Rai said preliminary information pointed to a possible dispute between two groups from the same community as one potential explanation for the incidents. Police also sought to verify information about damage to other pandals and temple decorations. Bhojpur Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Kumar Dixit said police reached the spot after receiving information about fires at two Durga Puja pandals and that senior officers were investigating all aspects of the case. The police were examining CCTV footage and seeking to identify and apprehend those responsible. Following the incidents, residents expressed concern about security during the Durga Puja celebrations and demanded action against those responsible. Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Kumar Dixit stated that the situation was normal and under control, with adequate security personnel deployed in the area. The investigation remained ongoing, with CCTV examination and the verification of damage forming part of the police inquiry.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case shows stronger indicators of religious targeting because the targeted objects were specifically associated with Hindu religious worship and Durga Puja celebrations. However, the available information does not yet establish who was responsible or whether the damage was motivated by hostility towards Hindus. The two Durga Puja pandals were targeted in separate attempts to set them ablaze, one sustaining fire damage, while decorative lights installed at a nearby temple were also broken. These were not ordinary public properties or unrelated structures. The pandals had been prepared for Durga Puja, and the temple decorations were part of the religious celebrations. Targeting these installations in the middle of the night, when the area was largely deserted, raises concerns about a deliberate attempt to damage Hindu religious spaces and disrupt the festival. The fact that two pandals located within approximately 300 metres of each other were targeted, along with the damage to temple decorations, is particularly significant. The incidents occurred during Durga Puja, when these spaces held religious and community importance for local Hindus. Residents also believed the acts were intended to disrupt the celebratory atmosphere. However, the police have also pointed to a possible dispute between two groups from the same community as one line of investigation. The perpetrators' identities and motives remain unknown. There is currently no reported evidence of anti-Hindu slogans, religious threats or statements indicating hostility towards Hindu worship. The targeting of Durga Puja pandals and temple decorations provides a clear religious context to the incident, but the perpetrators' motive remains unestablished. If the investigation confirms that these structures were targeted because they represented Hindu worship and religious celebrations, the incident would qualify as an attack on Hindu religious representations. On the information currently available, however, it would be premature to classify it as a confirmed case of Hinduphobia, which is why this incident has been included in the 'Undecided' database of the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
