Connecting Global Threads of Faith Newsletter - 2, September
Editor’s Note
Dharma is the sacred light we inherit from those before us, and the sacred trust we carry for generations yet to come…
September Newsletter – 2
(September 15 – September 30, 2026)
"In a connected world, Hindu struggles and resilience amid violence often remain unseen. This fortnightly report sheds light on these overlooked realities, offering a global overview of incidents affecting Hindus and celebrating our heritage, advocating for Hindu rights and religious freedom worldwide.
North America
United States of America
Thousands of kilometres away from Maharashtra, Ganeshotsav is being reshaped by communities that carry the festival abroad. In Amsterdam, Barcelona, The Hague, Pittsburgh, Prague, California and Atlanta, the celebrations are bringing together Indian families, younger generations and people from other cultures, with traditional rituals sharing space with music, dance, food and new interpretations of Maharashtrian heritage.
The bipartisan U.S. Right to Worship Act would establish a 100-foot buffer zone around places of worship to prevent disruption, threats or intimidation during religious services while protecting peaceful protest outside the zone. The bill has support from more than 30 religious organisations, including the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), amid concerns over disruptions and threats at Hindu temples.
Bharatiya Temple, a prominent Hindu-Jain temple serving the Greater Philadelphia region, presented a $100,000 donation to Sewa International in support of relief and rehabilitation efforts for communities affected by the recent disaster in Nepal. The funds were raised following a multi-faith prayer gathering held on September 3, 2026, where faith and community leaders came together in prayer, solidarity, and support for the people of Nepal.
Europe
United Kingdom
BAPS Neasden Temple in London has consecrated a 42-foot Tapomurti of Nilkanth Varni Maharaj, with thousands of devotees attending the ceremony led by Mahant Swami Maharaj.
On 13 September 2026, delegates from Bhaktivedanta Manor participated in a unique ceremonial worship of the holy river Ganga by the bank of the river Thames in London. Visakha Dasi, temple president of Bhaktivedanta Manor, gave a video address to the assembled thousands of participants.
Asia
India
Vajradehi Mutt seer Sri Rajashekharananda Swami appealed to the chief minister and home minister to withdraw the Goonda Act cases against Hindu activists and volunteers, saying the move was hurting the morale of Hindu society. He objected to police branding activists as goondas for questioning illegal transportation of cattle.
Ashiq Ali has been arrested in the death of 22-year-old Gauhati University student Nimisha Thakuria, with police registering charges including gang rape and murder.
A video circulating on social media shows Pastor Gypsum Thomas Williams being questioned by Hindu activists over Christian conversion activities in villages near Bhopal, with children saying they had stopped worshipping Hindu deities and followed the Bible.The footage prompted calls for investigation and action under Madhya Pradesh’s Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, which regulates conversions.
A Jhansi man who converted to Islam nearly 20 years ago reportedly returned to Hinduism with his wife through traditional rituals at a Shiva temple, with his wife also adopting a Hindu name.
Nashik’s 135-year-old Ganesh Mandir continues its tradition of Gaanseva, offering devotional classical music performances to Lord Ganesha without charging artists or audiences.
A cultural festival near Badrinath faced criticism over a loud, concert-style “Bhajan Jamming” session, with the Jyotirmath Shankaracharya objecting to DJ music and alleged indecent performances near the shrine.
An SIT report submitted to the Supreme Court found no discrepancies in the handling and records of valuable donations, including silver bricks and other items, at the Ayodhya Ram temple.
Thiruvananthapuram, TDB president K Jayakumar on Tuesday said he disagrees with the Keralam government's contention that there are major problems at Sabarimala and said the shortage of 'aravana payasam' resulted from more than expected devotees turning up at the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
The SIT probing alleged donation theft at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple identified 105 instances of alleged theft on CCTV, with the Uttar Pradesh government informing the Supreme Court that a chargesheet would be filed by September 25.
TTD has opened a redesigned ₹100-crore Sri Venkateswara Museum at Tirumala, showcasing over 6,000 artefacts spanning nearly 2,000 years of the shrine’s faith, art, history and heritage.
Six people, including a DMK functionary and a sub-registrar, have been booked over alleged use of forged documents to transfer 7,515 sq ft of Srirangam temple land in 2022, a charge denied by the DMK functionary.
Devotees and Hindu temple organisations have urged Tamil Nadu authorities to recover allegedly encroached land belonging to Nungambakkam’s Agatheeswarar Temple. Around 415 grounds have reportedly been identified for recovery, following a Madras High Court direction seeking details of the temple’s landholdings and encroachments.
Andhra Pradesh High Court said the allotment of 10.6 acres of Sri Dharma Rajula Swamy Temple land to NREDCAP will remain subject to the PIL’s outcome. The PIL challenges diversion of temple land for a non-religious purpose.
Nepal
The case involving the alleged theft of donation money from the Bala Tripurasundari Temple in Tripurasundari Municipality-1, Dolpa, has become more complicated after money was found at the temple on two separate days.
Devotees lined up early morning at major Ganesh temples in Kathmandu and other parts of the country to worship Lord Ganesh, who is traditionally accorded the first place of worship in Hindu rituals as the remover of obstacles.
Bangladesh
In yet another disturbing incident raising concerns over the safety of minorities across Bangladesh, the dead body of a Hindu man was found floating inside a drum near a sluice gate in the Begunbari area of Mymensingh district, local media reported.
As concerns mount over the safety of places of worship for Hindus in Bangladesh, a Goddess Kali idol along with several gold and silver ornaments and religious artefacts were stolen from the Uttar Kalibari Temple in Faridpur city, local media reported on Monday, citing temple authorities.
Pakistan
Two Hindu sisters, aged 13 and 14, were allegedly abducted in Sindh, Pakistan, forcibly converted to Islam and compelled to marry two Muslim men, according to the Voice of Pakistan Minority.The girls reportedly pleaded in court to return to their parents but were subsequently sent to a safe house, with rights groups calling for an independent investigation and protection.
Pakistan’s 19th-century Kalyan Das Temple in Rawalpindi now houses a school for visually impaired children, while the historic shrine remains severely dilapidated, with cracked domes, peeling plaster and faded murals.
Southeast Asia
Thailand
Devotees in Bangkok offer bubble tea to Lord Ganesha at a shrine, reflecting the deity’s continuing worship in Thailand, where he is known as Phra Phikanet and associated with success and the removal of obstacles.
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