Not all the attacks on Hindu festivals, Hindu temples, and Hindu rituals make into the mainstream media. Most of the persecutions of poor Hindus in Bharat happen in the remote villages where there is no one to protect and preserve rights of poor local Hindu families. They are left alone to struggle just to be able to practice their Dharma or celebrate their festivals without disturbance caused by the fringe elements who are always the Vidharmis living in the area. Many times, when unable to fight the persecution, poor Hindus either convert, abandon their Dharma or abandon their home, their village where they have lived for generations and run away in search of a safe place to live.

Such a case was brought to the notice of the Dharmansh USA team from a small town in Bharat called Chakradharpur in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, India. There is a small temple the local Hindus refer to as Maa Ban Durga temple. The local Hindus who mostly belong to the Harijan community, manage the temple, protect it, and have been fighting for about 12 years to preserve and protect their place of worship from the Asuras who have been trying all their tricks in their book to capture the temple land and either to convert or chase away this Hindu population from the area.

Our team spoke to the brave, local women engaged in the service of this place of Maa Ban Durga and many of them cried sharing their struggle and the pain that they have to go through to protect the place. Some of the incidents they shared with us are:

1. Both sides of the road that leads to this temple have been captured by the Vidharmis, so much so that a four-wheeler cannot even get closer to the temple premises.
2. Many times when the Pujari went to do morning Puja, he found cow meat thrown around in the temple premises. Many times buckets of urine was found spread all around the temple.
3. Police and administrative help is usually not provided to these poor Hindu families and their women there. Scuffles often happen when the fringe elements create trouble during festivities.

But these brave women who have dedicated their lives to Maa Ban Durga, never gave up and they have ensured that Puja, Archana, and Kirtans continue to happen there no matter what. The hard work and sacrifice of these brave women have now begun yielding positive results and bigger gatherings of devotees are now happening on special occasions at this place.

The existing temple structure is so small that it can’t accommodate anything other than the Pujari and the murti of Maa Ban Durga. One of the two murtis, Maa Mansa is kept outside this temple under a plastic shade.

Dharmansh USA team decided to support this struggling Hindu community and help them preserve and protect their place of worship and to help them develop this temple into a great place of worship for the Hindu communities around. This renovation and construction of a boundary wall for the temple premises will give a place for the Hindu community of all the surrounding villages to gather, perform our Puja-Archana, and celebrate their spiritual festivals properly. Above all, it will unite and be a great morale booster for these poor but brave women who have so much Aastha in Maa Ban Durga and this temple.

The construction of the temple building will begin from December 16^th, 2023.

Dharmansh USA team is so grateful for our supporters, our donors and our volunteers without whom we could not have been able to do any of the work we are able to do for the Hindu Samaj in Bharat today.

Har Har Mahadev!