Saraswati Puja celebrations desecrated; intoxicated man hurls abusive remarks against Hindu deities near puja pandal
Chapra, Bihar, India 
22 January, 2026
Case Summary
In Sonpur, Chapra, Bihar, Saraswati Puja celebrations were disrupted and desecrated after a man named Devnarayan Pandey started abusing Goddess Saraswati and other Hindu deities near the Puja pandal. The accused was drunk and was also smoking near the pandal venue. According to media reports, this occurred on 23 January 2026 near the Baba Hariharnath Temple, about five hundred metres from the local police station. The accused made lewd remarks about Goddess Saraswati and other deities near the Saraswati Puja pandal. A video of the entire incident went viral on social media. In the viral video, the accused was seen drunk, smoking a cigarette near the puja pandal, and abusing people. When the locals attempted to stop him, he made offensive remarks about Hindu gods and goddesses. After a video of the incident went viral, Devnarayan Pandey was seen apologising with folded hands the next day. The matter continued to be debated among the Panda (priests) community and local residents. Notably, Saraswati Puja, also known as Vasant Panchami, is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals that honours Goddess Saraswati, the Hindu deity of knowledge, wisdom, music, arts, and learning. This festival, marking spring's arrival, symbolises renewal, intellectual growth, and new educational beginnings, with rituals like placing books and instruments before her idol for blessings. It holds deep cultural importance in India, especially for students and artists seeking success, often featuring the Aksharabhyasa rite to initiate children into learning.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The first primary category selected in this case is- Hate Speech against Hindus. The subcategory selected is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. Another primary category selected in this case is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The 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. The other subcategory selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. 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. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance 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 presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case is a clear instance of a hate crime, as the perpetrator deliberately desecrated the sacred Saraswati Puja celebrations, a revered Hindu festival which is honoured by millions of Hindus. This is the day when Goddess Saraswati is worshipped with the utmost devotion. The accused's act of desecrating this occasion by making abusive remarks about deities and smoking cigarettes near the pandal showcases his deep-seated religious undermining and hatred for the Hindu community and their faith. Such actions are not merely a disturbance of the peace but a targeted attack on the spiritual identity of the Hindu community during their most holy period. Goddess Saraswati holds profound significance in Hinduism as the deity of knowledge, wisdom, music, arts, and learning, invoked during Saraswati Puja for blessings in intellectual and creative pursuits. Other deities worshipped alongside her embody virtues like purity, protection, and dharma, forming the spiritual bedrock of Hindu devotion. The act of making abusive remarks against these Hindu deities near puja pandals showcased deep-seated hatred for Hinduism. Such acts were done to deliberately hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and wound them during one of their most revered celebrations. Furthermore, the act of smoking cigarettes in the vicinity of the puja pandal constitutes a grave violation of religious sanctity and sacred rules of a place of worship. Pandals are considered holy spaces, temporary temples where a high standard of purity and cleanliness must be maintained to welcome and worship the deity. The act of smoking cigarettes and abusing Hindu deities near these puja pandals showcases the perpetrator's deep undermining of the Hindu faith. He intentionally violated the sacred rules of purity that are essential to the ritual, defiling the entire pandal through his intoxicated state and disrespectful conduct. This total disregard for the sanctity of the environment and the faith of the participants confirms the act as a calculated hate crime. Some may argue that this act resulted from intoxication and is not a hate crime fuelled by religious hatred; however, that does not seem likely. If the act stemmed simply from intoxication, the perpetrator could have also caused his nuisance and disruption in some other religious space, such as a church or mosque, or even in a non-religious space, but the accused selectively chose a Saraswati Puja pandal, showcasing his selective targeting and desecration of a Hindu sacred celebration, making it a clear, premeditated and hate-driven offence. Given that this case met the parameters of a religiously motivated offence, it was added to the hate crime database of the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
