Hindu temple complex illegally occupied and defiled by encroachers in Bayana, Rajasthan
Bayana, Rajasthan, India 
9 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Khareri village of Bayana, Rajasthan, a sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Thakurji was illegally encroached upon by a family. According to media reports, villagers stated that animals were being tied inside the temple premises, defiling the sanctity of the site and causing widespread filth throughout the complex. Local resident Parshottam Parashar lodged a formal complaint with the Subdivision Officer, yet no administrative action was taken. Parashar stated that the temple is the spiritual heart of the village, with large numbers of devotees visiting daily for worship. However, the unlawful occupation led to a decline in attendance. Villagers stressed that such desecration of a sacred site deeply wounded their religious sentiments and created risks of igniting social unrest. They said the harm caused to the temple’s sanctity had created a tense atmosphere in the village, fuelling widespread resentment. The villagers urged the administration to immediately clear the encroachment, take stringent action against those responsible, and safeguard the village’s religious traditions and social harmony.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/ land near temple. 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. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other subcategory selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. In this case, it is important to note that for Hindus, temples are not merely structures of worship but sacred institutions that embody the living presence of the Divine. A Hindu temple is revered as the abode of the deity itself, and the idol within is considered a physical manifestation of that Divine being. Every part of the temple, from its sanctum to the complex and the land surrounding it, is consecrated ground, representing purity, devotion, and deep spiritual heritage. The temple, therefore, holds immense emotional and religious significance for the Hindu community, forming the very heart of their collective faith. In this context, the act of encroachment by the accused family upon the Thakurji temple in Khareri village, fully aware of its importance, is seen as a grave act of disrespect towards Hindu sentiments. It reflects a conscious attempt to undermine Hindu faith and to hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. Such actions not only cause distress among devotees but also instil fear and insecurity. When acts like this are done, it creates disturbance for Hindus as they are not able to perform their religious rituals properly, and this causes great trouble to them. The Hindu villagers expressed that worship at the Thakurji temple has become increasingly difficult due to the encroachment. Regular prayers, rituals, and gatherings have been disrupted, and devotees fear visiting the temple as its sanctity has been compromised. For Hindus, purity, respect, and an undisturbed environment are essential elements of worship. Interference with these practices causes not just logistical obstruction but emotional anguish, as it disconnects them from their deeply held spiritual traditions. As per the villagers, the perpetrators not only encroached on the temple complex but also defiled it by tying animals and discarding filth within the temple complex. In Hindu tradition, temples are maintained with utmost sanctity — cleanliness, ritual purity, and a serene environment are indispensable aspects of religious observance. Introducing animals and filth into such a sacred space violates these core principles and constitutes an affront to the faith of the devotees. Such desecration cannot be viewed as ignorance alone; it reflects a deliberate act of defilement and a targeted attempt to humiliate and offend Hindu religious sentiments. In this case, even though the identity of the perpetrators is unknown, the act is motivated by religious animosity towards the Hindu faith and its sacred places of worship. This makes this case an example of a religiously motivated hate crime. Therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the date of an incident based on when the crime actually occurred, rather than when it is reported in the media. However, in this case, the media report does not mention any specific date on which the crime began. Therefore, for the purpose of documentation, we are using 10th October 2025 — the date of publication of the media report — as the indicative date of the incident.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
