Hindu temple in Rajasthan desecrated as Muslims eat meat and recite Quranic verses inside its premises

Case ID : d327371 | Location : Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, India | Date of Incident : Sun, 25 January, 2026

Case ID : d327371

Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, India

25 January, 2026

Hindu temple in Rajasthan desecrated as Muslims eat meat and recite Quranic verses inside its premises

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Defiling religious customs

Breaking rules of place of worship

Case Summary

In Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, a 950-year-old Hindu temple, Gogaji Maharaj Temple (Gogamedi), was desecrated when Muslims entered it and chanted Islamic worship inside it. They even ate meat inside the temple premises during Eid. When a Hindu woman named Riddhima Sharma, who was a devotee visiting the temple, found this out, she opposed it. As a result, she was abused and harassed for this. Notably, Gogaji Maharaj is a highly revered Hindu folk deity, primarily worshipped as a snake-god by Hindus. But even Muslims and Sikhs across Rajasthan, Punjab, and the Gangetic Plains honour him and visit his temple. The main temple, Gogamedi, is a significant site of pilgrimage where he is revered as a warrior saint with universal appeal. According to reports, this incident came to public light when Riddhima Sharma shared a video on social media. It caused a stir when she stated that Muslims inside the temple not only recited Islamic verses in the name of worship, but also consumed meat and fish. Following this, questions were raised as to how the same hands that touched meat could serve God and distribute prasad. Even local people complained that a Muslim man named Hussain and his companions were seen celebrating Eid and consuming meat within the temple premises. Devotees stated that people who were unaware of the temple's decorum, Muslims, distributed prasad there. The locals and Riddhima also stated that as part of a deliberate strategy, the temple was being Islamised by labelling Gogaji Maharaj as "Jaharpeer." 'Peer' is an Islamic terminology which is generally used to refer to Sufi saints. Protesters said this was not merely a tradition, but a business of conversion and occupation under the guise of faith. Following this, some so-called "secular" and leftist groups justified these actions by citing tradition, further complicating the matter. Hindu users on social media called for the Bhajanlal government to rid Hindu temples of such elements. Riddhima Sharma stated that when she protested, she was harassed and stalked. Hindu organisations have clearly warned that if the government does not restore the sanctity of the temple, then Hindu society itself would be forced to take a big decision.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- 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 religiously motivated crime as the Muslims desecrated the sacred temple of Gogaji Maharaj by consuming meat and reciting Quranic verses inside the temple premises. For Hindus, temples hold profound sacred significance, serving as divine abodes where deities reside and where devotees seek spiritual connection, perform rituals, and receive blessings. These spaces embody purity, devotion, and the eternal presence of the divine, governed by strict codes of conduct to maintain sanctity. In this Hanumangarh case, the deliberate consumption of meat inside the 950-year-old Gogaji Maharaj Temple (Gogamedi) constituted a clear act of desecration. Meat is considered impure in Hinduism due to its association with violence (ahimsa violation), tamasic qualities that cloud the mind, and incompatibility with sattvic purity required for worship. Temples enforce rigorous rules prohibiting meat, onions, garlic, and intoxicants within premises to preserve this holiness. The act of violating these rules defiles the sacred space, pollutes the atmosphere, and mocks the Hindu faith's core principles. Here, Muslims eating meat during Eid directly broke these rules, undermining the temple's sanctity and targeting its religious essence as an act of religiously motivated defilement. The act of reciting Quranic verses inside a Hindu temple transcends mere personal faith; it represents an aggressive imposition on a space consecrated for Hindu worship. By chanting Islamic prayers in Gogaji Maharaj Temple, the perpetrators asserted dominance over Hindu sacred ground, symbolically overshadowing the deity's presence with another faith's rituals and signalling Islamic supremacy. This was not passive devotion but a provocative claim of territory, akin to historical patterns of religious conquest where one group's symbols overwrite another's. Combined with meat consumption, it formed a pattern of targeted defilement, evidencing a religiously motivated hate crime aimed at humiliating Hindus, eroding their cultural heritage, and fostering division, all hallmarks of bias-driven attacks on religious sites. Furthermore, the fact that a Hindu woman, Riddhima Sharma, was harassed and abused simply for opposing the temple's desecration and violation of its sacred rules underscored how Hindus are targeted for defending their faith. This intimidation tactic aimed to silence dissent and deter future resistance. Here, it is important to state that despite the syncretic history of the Gogaji Maharaj Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to a Hindu deity where Muslims and Sikhs also honoured and visited the site, the desecration stood apart. Many Hindu temples impose no restrictions on non-Hindu entry, reflecting openness and shared reverence. However, the Muslim perpetrators exploited this good faith by eating meat and chanting Islamic verses inside, exposing their malicious intent to defile the sacred space while abusing the Hindu community's inherent tolerance. The temple was also being slowly Islamised by labelling Gogaji Maharaj as "Jahar Peer." The word 'Peer' is an Islamic terminology typically used for Sufi saints. Imposing such terminology on a Hindu deity was not a random act of devotion but a calculated effort to encroach upon the temple property and assert Islamic dominance, gradually eroding its Hindu character. In summary, all these actions made this incident a clear example of a religiously motivated crime. Therefore, it was 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 began, rather than when it is reported by the media. In this case, the media reports did not mention the exact date when the temple desecration began. Therefore, the date when Riddhima Sharma shared her social media video, 26 January 2026, is selected as the indicative incident date. This date is recorded for documentation purposes only. In this case, the total number of perpetrators has not been specified, despite it being stated that a Muslim man named Hussain and his Muslim companions celebrated Eid inside the temple and consumed meat. Therefore, since only Hussain has been named, the perpetrator count is recorded as 1. This is a conservative estimate recorded for documented purposes only.