Latest news with #HinduFestival
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Posts accusing Rahul Gandhi of 'insulting Hindu festival' use misleadingly edited speech
A misleadingly clipped video of Rahul Gandhi purportedly showing him calling a major religious festival a "drama" has circulated in posts accusing the opposition leader of insulting Hindus. Gandhi was in fact criticising a local Indian state government, saying it was serving the interests of billionaires over its own people. "Rahul Gandhi, standing on the soil of Odisha, called the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath a 'drama'!" reads part of the Hindi-language caption of a Facebook video shared on July 11, 2025. The video shows Gandhi standing at a podium and saying: "When the Jagannath Yatra takes place in Odisha, the chariot of the Jagannath Yatra comes out, hundreds of thousands of people watch it and follow it and then a drama takes place." It was shared after a deadly stampede marred the annual Rath Yatra festival honouring the Hindu deity Lord Jagannath, which was held in eastern Odisha state (archived link). At least three people were killed and around 50 others injured in the early hours of June 29, with the Times of India reporting that eyewitnesses blamed the chaos on poor planning and arrangements for VIPs (archived link). The clip was also shared in similar Facebook, Threads and X posts targeting the opposition Congress party's leader. "The Supreme Court should take cognisance of the insult of the Hindu faith and Lord Jagannath by this heretic and strict action should be taken against this heretic," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "When will action be taken against this corrupt stupid man? How long will he keep roaming around the country and keep talking nonsense, keep playing with the sentiments of Hindu believers?" The video, however, has been misleadingly edited. Clipped video A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the misleadingly edited video led to a longer version published on the verified YouTube channel of News 18 Odia on July 11 (archived link). Its description states that Gandhi was speaking at Congress' "Save the Constitution" rally in Odisha's Bhubaneswar city, part of a national campaign to bolster support for the opposition party. The segment used in the false posts can be seen at the video's 32-second mark. The falsely shared clip omits Gandhi explaining what he meant by "drama". "When the Jagannath Yatra takes place in Odisha, the chariot of the Jagannath Yatra comes out, hundreds of thousands of people watch it and follow it and then a drama takes place -- the chariots are stopped specifically for Adani and his family," he says, referring to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani. The Adani Group chairman took part in the Rath Yatra with his family on June 28 (archived link). The pulling of giant chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings from the Lion's Gate of the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple 2.5 km (1.5 miles) away -- a key ritual in the Rath Yatra -- had been delayed by a day, according to India's The Telegraph newspaper (archived link). The newspaper said the opposition Congress party accused the Odisha state government, run by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of deliberately delaying the ritual so the Adani family could take part. In response, Odisha law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan accused the opposition of trying to "politicise the issue". Gandhi goes on to say in his speech: "This alone reveals the true nature of the Odisha government. This is not the Odisha government and it is also not the government of poor people. "It doesn't serve the people of Odisha, but rather a handful of billionaires like Adani. Their aim is to seize your land, your forests, and your future." His remarks were also reported by The Indian Express, The Print, PTI and Times of India (archived here, here, here and here). AFP has debunked other false posts targeting the opposition leader here.
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Indian community celebrates Rath Yatra with colour and devotion
A cultural parade organised by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha New Zealand in Avondale. Photo: Supplied Hundreds of members of the Indian community marked Rath Yatra with vibrant celebrations in cities and towns across New Zealand. The annual Hindu festival, which originated in the coastal city of Puri in Odisha State, celebrates the journey of deities Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. Also known as the Festival of Chariots, it traditionally features a decorated chariot pulled by devotees in a symbolic procession of unity and blessings. In Auckland, celebrations were led by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha New Zealand and the New Zealand Odia Society. The annual Hindu festival, which originated in the coastal city of Puri in Odisha State, celebrates the journey of deities Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. Photo: Supplied The largest gathering took place at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Avondale, where more than 500 people took part in the chariot procession and cultural parade. "The weather was not on our side this year, but hundreds still turned up," said Sidd Doshi, one of the organisers. "Our tradition is to take the deities out among the people," Doshi said. "On this special day, instead of remaining in the temple, they are placed on chariots and taken through the streets to bless the community." BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha also held celebrations in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Rotorua, with smaller events in Whangarei, Napier, Nelson and Dunedin. The New Zealand Odia Society hosted events in both Wellington and Auckland. In Wellington, celebrations took place at Redwood School on 29 June and featured Odissi dance performances and other cultural programmes. Rath Yatra celebrations in Henderson, Auckland, organised by the New Zealand Odia Society. Photo: Supplied In Auckland, the event was held at Sriram Mandir in Henderson and began with a puja of a handcrafted chariot, built by members of the organisation. The highlight of the day was a musical drama adaptation of Patent Medicine, an iconic play by renowned Odia writer Fakir Mohan Senapati. "This year, the Ratha was adorned with the sacred Patitapaban Bana flag, sourced directly from Puri," the NZ Odia Society said in a statement. "The programme included Odissi dances, a soulful chorus by adults, group performances and an instrumental ensemble performed entirely by children," the statement said. "The music was choreographed by Basant Madhur, founder of the Sargam School of Music."
Arab News
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Three killed, dozen others hospitalized after crowd surge at India Hindu festival
NEW DELHI: Three people were killed and more than a dozen hospitalized Sunday following a sudden crowd surge and stampede at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India, local authorities said. 'There was a sudden crowd surge of devotees for having a glimpse of the Hindu deities during which a few people either fainted, felt suffocated or complained of breathlessness,' said Siddharth Shankar Swain, the top government official in Puri. Swain told The Associated Press that 15 people were rushed to a local government hospital, where three people were pronounced dead. Autopsies are planned to determine the exact causes of death. The other 12 people have been discharged. Tens of thousands of devotees gathered in the coastal town early Sunday at Shree Gundicha Temple, near the famous Jagannatha Temple, to catch a glimpse of the deities onboard three chariots, Swain said. The coastal temple town of Puri comes alive each year with the grand 'Rath Yatra,' or chariot festival, in one of the world's oldest and largest religious processions. The centuries-old festival involves Hindu deities being taken out of the temple and driven in colorfully decorated chariots. The festival is one of Hinduism's most revered events and draws hundreds of thousands of devotees annually from across India and the world. Naveen Patnaik, a former top elected official of Odisha state where Puri is located, said in a social media post that 'no government machinery (was) present to manage the surging crowds, highlighting a shocking lapse in duty.' 'While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy,' he said. Patnaik called the incident a 'stampede' that 'exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.' In a social media post, Mohan Charan Majhi, the top elected official of Odisha, apologized for the incident, saying it occurred 'due to stampede among devotees' amid excitement to have a glimpse of the deities. Majhi said the security negligence will be investigated immediately. 'This negligence is inexcusable,' he said, adding that concrete action will be taken against the persons involved.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Yahoo
Crowd surge kills 3 and leaves over a dozen injured at Hindu festival in eastern India
Three people were killed and more than a dozen hospitalized Sunday following a sudden crowd surge at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India, a senior government official said.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Yahoo
More than 500 people injured after "stampede" at Hindu festival
More than 500 people were injured after a "stampede" occurred at a Hindu festival. The incident reportedly happened while onlookers celebrated the Ratha Yatra festival which takes place each year in Puri, Odisha, in eastern India on June 27. Large crowds had gathered for the festival which involves a ceremonial procession of three deities - Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra - on chariots through the streets. The stampede reportedly happened during the pulling of the chariots when a sudden crowd surge near the Gajapati King's palace during the 'Pahandi' ritual caused panic.
