Martand Sun Temple desecrated, Muslim boys set off firecrackers on Eid
Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India 
21 April, 2023
Case Summary
On social media, a video of several boys (one of whom is seen wearing white and a cap) jumping on the Martand Sun Temple of Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir and setting off fireworks there on Eid-ul-Fitr, went viral. This is the same temple, now in ruins that was called a “devil’s cave” (Shaitan ki Gufa) in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film “Haider”. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had notably allowed the filmmakers to shoot the film there. The Martand Sun Temple is one of the few Sun Temples in the country and is a protected monument according to the ASI. When Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha conducted the Navgrah Ashtamangalam Pooja at the temple in May, 2022, the ASI even took objection to Hindus conducting puja there.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
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. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. It is also pertinent to note that the case of Kashmir and Hindu places of worship has additional context that must not be missed. Hindus of Kashmir faced large scale violence and persecution at the hands of the Muslim population of Kashmir in early 1990s. Kashmiri Pandits were given options of fleeing, converting to Islam or dying at the hands of Muslim extremists. The places of worship of the Hindus were mercilessly desecrated and attacked. Millions of Kashmiri Pandits were either brutally killed or had to flee the state in a mass exodus. In this context, the desecration of the Martand Sun temple holds significance, indicating that the inherent animosity and hostility driven by religious supremacy and disdain for Hindus, their faith and symbols of their faith thrives even after decades of the genocide.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
