24 instances when Saraswati Puja came under attack in 2026: Read how Islamists attacked the Hindu festival in India and Bangladesh

Targeted attacks on Hindus celebrating their festivals have continued into this year, with 24 incidents of attacks on Saraswati Visarjan being reported in India and Bangladesh. The Hindu festival was targeted in various states, including Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tripura, West Bengal and Gujarat. A couple of such incidents happened in neighbouring Bangladesh, where Hindus are in the minority. Here is a look at all 24 incidents impacting Saraswati Visarjan in 2026-

Muslim mob attacked Hindu devotees in the Vaishali district, Bihar

A Muslim mob attacked and pelted stones at Hindu devotees near a mosque as they were returning after immersing the Saraswati idol in the Navanagar area of Vaishali district, Bihar. The incident came to light on 27th January. The attack happened in the Navanagar market area when the Hindu devotees taking out the Saraswati idol immersion procession were forced to change their route by some members of the Muslim community. A heated argument took place between the Hindu devotees and the Muslims.

The situation turned to normal temporarily, but violence erupted when the Hindu devotees were returning from the immersion. A Muslim mob assaulted a Hindu devotee, and when other devotees protested, they were attacked with sticks and swords. Muslims were also stoned from nearby rooftops, creating panic in the area and forcing residents to flee for safety. Several Hindu devotees were injured and taken to the Bidupur Primary Health Centre and private nursing homes for treatment. Videos of the attack went viral on social media. The situation was controlled after police intervention. Cases were registered against multiple persons.

Houses of Hindu devotees attacked in Lohardaga, Jharkhand

Hindu devotees taking out the Saraswati puja procession were brutally attacked by a Muslim mob on 25th January in Baridih village, under the Kudu police station area of Lohardaga, Jharkhand. The attack happened after the vehicle carrying the Saraswati idol slightly touched the roof of the house of a Muslim family. A mob of Muslims gathered at the place, and by the early morning, the situation further deteriorated. Hindus and their houses were attacked. Three people sustained serious injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Upon receiving the information, police from the Kudu police station and a bike squad from the Border Security Force arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control.

Muslims opposed the playing of the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ hymn in Darbhanga, Bihar

In Alinagar, Darbhanga, Bihar, a mob of Muslims opposed the playing of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ hymns by Hindus on a DJ on 25th January. The dispute escalated into violence during Saraswati Puja idol immersion on 26th January. Muslims pelted stones at Hindu devotees and the procession. As the immersion procession passed through Jayantipur village on 26th January, stone-pelting by members of the Muslim community began. According to eyewitnesses, the attack caused panic and theft. Three Hindu devotees were injured. Notably, Darbhanga Senior Superintendent of Police downplayed the initial communal nature of the incident by claiming that the entire dispute began over a motorcycle and later took a communal turn. Police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain peace. The Benipur Sub-Divisional Police Officer personally monitored the situation to prevent a recurrence of violence.

Muslims armed with machetes and sticks tried to disrupt Saraswati Puja in Tripura’s Kailashahar

16 Muslims armed with machetes and sticks tried to disrupt a Saraswati Puja in Katal Dighirpar area of Kailashahar, Tripura, on 24th January, which led to violent clashes. Bharatiya Janata Party Mandal president Pritam Ghosh said that the group created unrest near the puja venue. “As soon as we rushed to the spot after receiving information, they attacked us indiscriminately. The situation turned more violent. These miscreants were trying to replicate the dangerous environment of Bangladesh. We must fight unitedly against such forces,” Ghosh said, who sustained injuries. The house of the district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing, Arup Dhar, was vandalised. An unofficial office of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Katal Dighirpar was also set on fire. Police personnel were deployed to control the situation.

Saraswari Puja disrupted in Hajipur, Bihar

A Saraswati Puja was disrupted in Hajipur, Bihar, by a local station house officer, leading to protests by villagers on 24th January. The incident happened in Ward No. 7 of Teknari Panchayat in Vaishali district, when the police station chief arrived at the Saraswati Puja pandal during the aarti and ordered that the DJ be stopped. According to Hindu devotees, no DJ was playing at the time, and the interference of the police resulted in the halting of the Aarti. The incident outraged villagers who surrounded the police personnel in large numbers. Angry villagers refused to proceed with idol immersion without their grievances being addressed.

Saraswati Puja discontinued in a school in Katihar, Bihar

Saraswati Puja was prohibited in a school in Bindtoli of Katihar district, Bihar, on 24th January, after a teacher, Shahil Kumar, had objected to the ritual application of Abir (colour) to him last year. Saraswati Puja had been a recurring annual practice at the upgraded middle school in Bindtoli, located under Sohtha Southern Panchayat in the Falaka police station area. However, the practice was discontinued after Shahil Kumar requested the school administration to ban it. The decision caused difficulty for Hindu devotees, many of whom had to travel to other locations to perform the puja.

This led to protests near the school premises on 24th January, prompting intervention by Falaka Police Station officer Ravi Kumar Rai and village head representative Amit Gupta. Local representatives, including deputy head Pawan Kumar Singh and ward member Upendra Mandal, along with villagers Shyamlal Mahato, Tuntun Sah, Shekhon Mahato and Jairam Mahato, demanded that the school administration ensure the proper organisation of Saraswati Puja every year. The school’s principal, Laxman Mandal, acknowledged fault in the handling of the matter and assured the gathering that formal worship of Goddess Saraswati would resume annually from the following year, after which tensions subsided.

Stone pelting on Saraswati immersion procession in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

Hindu devotees taking part in Saraswati Puja and idol immersion procession in Beltu village in Keredari block of Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand, were attacked by members of the Muslim community at night on 24th January. A scuffle regarding the playing of Saraswati bhajans during the immersion procession escalated into stone pelting and violence by Muslims. Several Hindu devotees and police personnel were injured in the attack. Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police Anjani Anjan and Deputy Commissioner Shashi Prakash Singh reached the site late at night to monitor the situation.

Bombs hurled at Hindu devotees during Saraswati Puja in Jharkhand

Some miscreants hurled bombs at Hindu devotees performing Saraswati Puja in Ward Number 14 of Gohariyon village, Bhagalpur, under the Lodipur police station area in Jharkhand. Several devotees were seriously injured in the attack and were taken to Mayaganj Hospital for medical treatment. Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Kumar Yadav reached Mayaganj Hospital and met the injured, enquiring about their condition. City Superintendent of Police Shailendra Singh, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, and the Lodipur police station chief camped in the village to bring the situation under control. The accused were identified by the police, who assured strict action against them.

Saraswati idol desecrated in Dibrugarh, Assam

A Goddess Saraswati idol was desecrated and damaged by a few unidentified miscreants in the Jalan Nagar labour line in Dibrugarh, Assam, on 24th January. The incident hurt the sentiments of local Hindus, who demanded strict action against the culprits.

TMC leader threatened students who organised Saraswati Puja in West Bengal

In South Kolkata, West Bengal, a TMC politician named Daud Alam Molla threatened Hindu students who organised Saraswati Puja. The incident came to light when a female Hindu student studying at the government-sponsored Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri College in South Kolkata informed that an All India Trinamool Congress leader, Daud Alam Molla, threatened them against organising Saraswati Puja.  A video of the victim went viral on social media. In the viral video, the victim stated, “Daud Alam Molla is standing outside. He has threatened me that he will f*** my lawyer.” Notably, Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College is the alma mater of West Bengal Chief Minister and All India Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. Earlier, in January 2025, Mohammad Shabbir Ali, the then General Secretary of the West Bengal State Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, had threatened Hindu students with rape and murder if they dared to perform Saraswati Puja.

Saraswati idol desecrated in Muksudpur Upazila of Gopalganj, Bangladesh

A Goddess Saraswati idol was desecrated in Muksudpur Upazila of Gopalganj, Bangladesh, on 23rd January, on the day of the Saraswati Puja. According to Muksudpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdullah Al Mamun, the incident took place at the public puja pavilion in Paschim Ujan Kandani Para village of Ujani Union of the upazila after the Saraswati Puja. He said that after the Friday (23 January 2026) puja, the worshippers left the temple around midnight. Then some miscreants desecrated the idol by twisting the neck of the Saraswati murti and hanging its head. Locals found out about the desecration a day later and informed the police. The police said that CCTV cameras were removed before the act was committed.

Saraswati Puja Sonpur, Chapra, Bihar

Saraswati Puja celebrations were disrupted after a drunk man named Devnarayan Pandey started abusing Goddess Saraswati and other Hindu deities at a Puja pandalnear the Baba Hariharnath Temple in Sonpur, Chapra, Bihar, on 23rd January. Pandey also smoked near the pandal venue. When the locals attempted to stop him, he made offensive remarks about Hindu gods and goddesses. After a video of the incident went viral, Devnarayan Pandey was seen apologising with folded hands the next day.

Dancers danced to obscene songs during Saraswati Puja in Surat, Gujarat,

A Saraswati Puja celebration was spoiled on 23rd January after female dancers were made to dance to obscene songs inside the sacred puja pandal, a sacred temporary shrine where the celebrations take place. The incident happened in Anand Park Society in the Katargam Wade Road area, where women dancers were made to dance to vulgar Bhojpuri and Hindi songs. Devotees present at the event were left embarrassed and uncomfortable. Videos of the incident went viral on social media.

TMC members locked a temple, preventing Hindus from performing puja in West Bengal

A Saraswati Puja celebration was disrupted in Kamarhati city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal by TMC members on 23rd January. Some members of TMC locked up the Belghadia Sarbajanin Sri Durga Chowk Society temple, preventing devotees from performing Saraswati Puja. Local police refused to intervene and unlock the temple, leaving local Hindu devotees outraged.

A fight among TMC members disrupted Saraswati Puja in Cooch Behar, West Bengal

An infighting in the TMC factions led to the disruption in the Saraswati Puja celebration at the Dinhata College in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal on 23rd January. This led the devotees attending the celebrations to panic and run for safety, which added to the chaos. Viral videos of the incident showed how the college campus was turned into a battlefield due to the fight between the TMC members. After learning about the incident, the in-charge of Dinhata police station and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer reached the college campus to take notice of the situation.

Saraswati Puja disrupted by a drunk man in Surguja, Chhattisgarh

A Saraswati Puja being held at a Junapara Primary School in Gumgra in the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh was disrupted by a drunk government teacher named Buddheshwar Das on 23rd January. The teacher arrived at the school in an inebriated state and tried to take part in the Puja. When devotees suspected his behaviour and asked him whether he was drunk, he lied. After receiving information that the teacher had arrived at school drunk, Sarpanch Rupmaniya Maravi reached the school along with Panchayat representatives. A Gram Sabha was convened, during which a proposal was passed demanding the removal of teacher Buddheshwar Das from the school.

The cluster in charge was directed to conduct an inquiry, following which it was confirmed that the teacher had arrived at school after consuming alcohol. The inquiry report was forwarded to the Surguja District Education Officer with a recommendation for suspension.

Hindu students prevented from performing puja in a school with a majority of Muslim students in West Bengal

Some Hindu students were denied entry and prevented from performing the Saraswati Puja in Moynagadi Free Primary School in the North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, on 23rd January. The Hindu students had obtained permission from the school authorities to perform Saraswati Puja. However, on the day of the Puja, the school remained closed, and the permission was withdrawn. The reason cited for withdrawing the permission was that over 50% of the students in the school were Muslims. Subsequently, the Hindu students had to organise the Saraswati Puja outside the school on a footpath.

Convent with over 70% Hindu students denies permission to hold Saraswati Puja in Sakhaibari, Dharmanagar

Holy Cross Convent School in Sakhaibari, Dharmanagar, denied permission to Hindu students to perform Saraswati Puja at the school. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had approached Holy Cross Convent School on 16th January seeking permission on behalf of Hindu students to observe Basant Panchami on the school premises. On 22nd January, they visited the school again, reiterating their request as the school had over 70% Hindu students. However, the school administration rejected the request.

After the denial of permission, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised a demonstration in front ofthe school, demanding that Saraswati Puja, the Hindu festival dedicated to the goddess of knowledge, be permitted on campus. Parents of Hindu students also joined the protest, but the school administration did not grant permission. As tensions flared, police had to intervene to control the situation.

Hindu man thrashed by Muslims for taking part in the Saraswati Puja in Madhya Pradesh

A Bajrang Dal member, Sohel Thakur, was brutally attacked by a group of Muslim men in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on 22nd January. The attacker targeted him for his involvement in preventing Love Jihad cases and actively participating in a Vasant Panchami Saraswati Puja event on 21st January.

A group of 10-15 Muslims attacked him when he went to the Malipura area for some work. The Muslim men from the Madargarh and Qazi Mohalla stopped him and began arguing with him. They attacked him with rods and other weapons. Thakur sustained a serious head injury and was taken to Ujjain District Hospital in a critical condition. Speaking to the media, Thakur said that he had been the target of the attackers for a long time because of his actions against Love Jihad incidents. An FIR was lodged against Sappan Mirza, Ehsan Mirza, Shadab, Salman and Rizwan.

Saraswati idol vandalised in Satkhira, Bangladesh

An idol of Goddess Saraswati was desecrated by miscreants in the Tetulia area of Satkhira, Bangladesh, a day before the Saraswati Puja celebrations on 23rd January. The miscreants discreetly entered the Puja venue at midnight and smashed the idol into pieces. The local Hindus found out about the incident in the morning and informed the police. They assured strict action against the perpetrators and started an investigation. As per reports, the incident happened after some radical organisations gave hate speeches against Saraswati Puja.

Man breaks idols of Hindu deities ahead of Saraswati Puja in Odisha

A man named M Krishnaraju mocked Hindu deities and desecrated their idols in a tribal school in Ambadola, in the Rayagada district of Odisha, on 16th January, days ahead of Saraswati Puja. Idols of Ganesha and Saraswati were donated to the school by some former students from the batches of 1997 and 1999. The attacker, who is a teacher by profession, used to mock the idols, saying that they cannot speak English. The incident hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. Hindu Dharmarakshya Samiti, a Hindu organisation, took cognisance of the issue and filed a police complaint against the teacher and were seeking exemplary punishment against him.

Idols of Saraswati and Kali damaged in Nadia district, West Bengal

Several idols of Hindu deities were found vandalised in Shantipur in Nadia district, West Bengal, on 7th January. About 70-80 idols of Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Kali, prepared by a local sculptor, Jayanta Das, were found broken outside his workshop near the Loknath Temple. The idols had been prepared ahead of the Kali Puja and Saraswati Puja celebrations scheduled on 21st January and Kali Puja on 23rd January. The incident caused distress among devotees as well as artisans, for whom the festive season is a critical period for income and sustenance. The culprit was identified as Amit Dey, who committed the act in an intoxicated state.

Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Basanti idold damabed in the East Midnapore district of West Bengal

Idols of Hindu deities were damaged by some unidentified miscreants on the night of 4th January, weeks before Saraswati Puja, in Kanthal Potti, under the Garkamalpur Panchayat in the Mahishadal area of the East Midnapore district of West Bengal. The idols of Goddess Basanti and Goddess Saraswati were found desecrated on the morning of 5th January. The incident left the local Hindus hurt and outraged. They demanded strict action against the culprits. An investigation was initiated by the police into the incident.

School management comprising non-Hindus did not hold Saraswati Puja in Unakoti, Tripura

Saraswati Puja celebrations were not held at Nalakata High School in Pecharthal, under the Kumarghat subdivision in the Unakoti district of Tripura, this year. The school had a tradition of organising the Saraswati Puja every year. However, the celebrations did not take place this year as the majority of the members on the school Management Committee comprised non-Hindus. The school remained closed on the day of Saraswati Puja on 23rd January.

Many Hindu students and their parents reached the school in the morning on 23rd January to find the school gate locked. Hindu students stated that a majority of the SMC members belong to Christian, Chakma (Theravada Buddhist), and Muslim communities, and instead of holding discussions on the Puja, the school was closed.