Hindu religious gathering attacked: Stones hurled on Ganpati pandal in Vadodara, Gujarat
Vadodara, Gujarat, India 
31 August, 2025
Case Summary
A Hindu festival gathering was attacked in Vadodara city, Gujarat, when stones were hurled near a Ganpati pandal in the Diwalipura slum quarters of Tarsali. The incident took place soon after the Chhappan Bhog offering at the pandal. Local residents reported that stones were first thrown at an Activa parked nearby, after which more stones followed, creating panic in the area. The disturbance led to crowds assembling at the site, with local residents chanting Jai Shri Ram. Police, including senior officers such as the DCP, ACP, and PI, rushed to the location and immediately began combing operations across the neighbourhood to prevent escalation. Corporator Alpesh Limbachiya condemned the attack, pointing out that this was the second such incident in Vadodara within days. He reminded that just five days earlier, eggs had been thrown during Ganesh’s arrival celebrations, and now stones were again used to disrupt peace during Ganeshji’s aarti and Chhappan Bhog program in Tarsali. DCP Abhishek Gupta confirmed that separate teams were formed to investigate what was thrown and by whom, with checks carried out on nearby terraces and CCTV footage under review. The police assured that questioning of organisers and locals would continue until those responsible were identified.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category in this case is: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory under this is: Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example, the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja, etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se; however, they are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces, and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The attack in Vadodara during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations has been included in the Hinduphobia Tracker under the category of Attack on Hindu religious representations, with a subcategory of Violence against religious structures or centres. The stones were directed at a temporary religious structure created for festival worship. Within Hindu belief, such structures are not mere arrangements of wood, cloth, and decoration. They are invested with sacred significance, as the space in which the deity is installed is treated as divine in itself. Any act of aggression directed at such structures is therefore not a simple matter of public nuisance or mischief, but an attack upon the religious life of Hindus. It expresses hostility towards the faith by targeting its visible representations in society. Ganesh Chaturthi holds immense importance within the Hindu tradition. It marks the arrival of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the deity of wisdom and auspicious beginnings. The celebration extends over days, often bringing entire communities together around a central pandal where the idol is installed, daily prayers are conducted, and offerings such as the Chhappan Bhog are made. To disrupt such a sacred occasion by throwing stones near the pandal amounts to violating the sanctity of a space recognised by Hindus as holy. When the integrity of these structures is threatened, the act reverberates far beyond the physical damage or danger. It strikes at the collective right of Hindus to practise their religion freely and peacefully. For this reason, such violence is classified as a hate crime against Hindus, as it arises from animosity towards the religion and its visible symbols. This incident in Tarsali is not an isolated disturbance. Only days before, in the same city of Vadodara, eggs were thrown at a Ganesha idol and procession during the festival. That act too was documented by the Hinduphobia Tracker. These episodes suggest a deliberate pattern of targeting Hindu festivals and their representations in public spaces. They demonstrate that Hindu celebrations, especially those that bring communities out into the streets, have become vulnerable to organised disruption by anti-social elements. The repeated targeting of Ganesh Chaturthi in particular is significant. This festival is one of the most widely celebrated across India and symbolises Hindu religious life lived openly and with community participation. Attempts to defile or disturb these celebrations are not simply matters of local quarrels or misbehaviour but are attacks aimed at unsettling Hindu religious identity itself. Such actions stem from deep animosity towards Hindus and the faith. For these reasons, the Vadodara stone-pelting case has been added to the tracker as part of a growing record of hate crimes directed against the Hindu faith and its sacred spaces. It is also important to mention here that, though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed from hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred event and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case have specified the exact date on which the incident happened. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
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Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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