Mumbai Priest Arrested After Kali Idol Appears in Mother Mary Attire

An idol of the Hindu Goddess Kali was discovered dressed in attire resembling Mother Mary at a temple in Chembur, prompting outrage among devotees and leading to the arrest of the shrine's priest on charges of hurting religious sentiments, police confirmed on Monday. The incident, which unfolded over the weekend at the Kali Mata Temple near a crematorium in Anik Village, Mysore Colony, came to light when worshippers noticed the deity adorned in a bright yellow gown, a large crown, white embellishments, and a prominent golden cross—elements evoking Christian iconography—while holding a child figure. A video of the altered idol quickly went viral on social media, amplifying shock and accusations of deliberate provocation, with some users alleging influence from "Christian missionary groups."

The temple priest, identified as Ramesh Yogeshwar, was detained by Chembur's RCF police station after devotees confronted him and alerted authorities, fearing escalation into communal unrest. During interrogation, Yogeshwar reportedly confessed that the Goddess Kali had appeared in his dream, commanding him to "adorn her in the form of Mother Mary," which he interpreted as a divine directive to alter the idol's appearance. Protests erupted outside the temple, drawing members of local Hindu organizations who vandalized the setup in anger before police intervened, restoring the idol to its original state in their presence to quell rumors and maintain order. A formal complaint was lodged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for outraging religious feelings, with unverified claims circulating that the priest may have been paid or coerced by external parties.

Authorities produced Yogeshwar before a local magistrate, who remanded him to two days of police custody as the investigation probes potential accomplices or organized motives behind the act. Senior officers from the Mumbai Police emphasized their commitment to preventing any flare-up in the diverse neighborhood, deploying additional personnel to monitor the area amid heightened tensions. The episode underscores persistent sensitivities around religious iconography in India's multicultural fabric, where syncretic expressions can swiftly ignite debates on faith, identity, and tolerance—echoing past controversies like the 2022 Nupur Sharma remarks that strained Hindu-Muslim relations nationwide.

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As the probe continues, community leaders from both Hindu and Christian groups have urged calm, with the former demanding stricter vigilance at religious sites and the latter distancing themselves from any purported involvement. The swift police response, including the idol's restoration, has been credited with averting wider unrest, but the viral footage's reach—garnering thousands of shares—highlights the role of social media in amplifying such incidents, often blurring lines between fact and speculation in real-time. With no further disturbances reported by Tuesday, the focus shifts to judicial proceedings, serving as a reminder of the delicate balance required to safeguard pluralistic harmony in urban India.

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