Christian content including images of Jesus and Mary displayed on LED screen meant for displaying Hindu devotional content in Himachal's Maa Chintapurni Mandir
Una, Himachal Pradesh, India 
25 March, 2025
Case Summary
In the Una district of Himachal Pradesh, a video of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was played on an LED screen installed by the temple trust near the revered Maa Chintapurni temple, a prominent Shakti Peetha. The LED screen, worth ₹20 lakh, had been installed at Bharwain Chowk by the temple trust to display devotional content related to the temple, including live darshan of the deity and aarti videos. The LED screen had previously been used solely to share spiritual content related to Maa Chintapurni, and the unexpected appearance of Christian religious content raised concerns among devotees and locals alike. The administration assured that appropriate steps would be taken following the investigation to prevent any such recurrence.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category 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. The incident at the Maa Chintapurni temple, where a video of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was played on an LED screen meant for broadcasting Hindu devotional content, constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime as it violated the sanctity and traditional rules of the temple. The temple is a sacred space for the worship of the Hindu goddess Chintapurni, and using its premises or resources to display content unrelated to the faith disrupts the spiritual atmosphere and signifies a deliberate breach of religious norms. Such an act is not a mere error in programming or content selection, but a symbolic intrusion into a space that holds immense religious value for Hindus. The act of inserting Abrahamic content into the devotional framework of a Hindu temple disregards the deeply rooted traditions that govern worship in these spaces and trivialises the religious identity of the Hindu community. This undermines the religious freedom of the devotees and is a form of religious supremacy, where the beliefs of one community are imposed on another in their most sacred setting. Therefore, this incident falls under the category of an attack on Hindu religious representations, specifically the breaking of traditional rules of worship, and is rightfully classified as a hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
