Nashik: Trimbakeshwar Purohits Allege Devotees Being Cheated Through Online Ritual Advertisements

Nashik: The Trimbakeshwar Purohits’ Association has lodged a complaint with the police administration alleging that devotees are being cheated through misleading advertisements on social media offering various religious rituals at supposedly affordable rates. The association has blamed unauthorised purohits from outside Trimbakeshwar for the alleged malpractice.

The association has demanded immediate action against such elements, alleging that devotees are being financially exploited in the name of performing religious rituals.

In this regard, the association submitted a memorandum to the Inspector of Trimbakeshwar Police Station. Trimbakeshwar is an ancient religious and pilgrimage centre that attracts a large number of devotees from across the country for darshan as well as various religious rituals and pujas. The local purohit community has traditionally played an important role in maintaining religious traditions, rituals and arrangements at the pilgrimage centre.

However, the association said complaints have recently been received regarding certain unauthorised purohits from outside Trimbakeshwar approaching devotees in the name of performing religious rituals and allegedly misleading them and collecting large amounts of money.

Purohits’ Association president Manoj Thete and other executive committee members were present while the memorandum was submitted. This is the second complaint submitted by the association on the issue in the past two months.

How devotees are allegedly being cheated

Advertisements are being circulated through various online applications, websites and social media platforms, offering online registration for religious rituals. However, there is allegedly no transparency regarding who performs the ritual, where it is conducted and according to which prescribed procedure. The association claims that this lack of transparency is resulting in devotees being misled and financially cheated.