Mumbai: A video purportedly from Mumbai showing women welcoming an idol of Mother Mary with garlands and rituals resembling traditional Hindu customs has sparked a debate on social media over faith, cultural practices and religious identity during the Navratri season.
Viral Video Shows Mother Mary's Hindu Traditional-style Welcome
The video shows a young girl standing at the entrance of a house with a garlanded idol of Mother Mary. A woman approaches her with a glass of water and performs rituals resembling the traditional Hindu practice of welcoming a deity. She is also seen performing an aarti before the girl enters the house with the idol.
The idol is later placed on a table decorated for the occasion, with offerings arranged around it. A television in the background displays visuals of a church. The video does not establish the exact location or when the ceremony was performed and these details remain unconfirmed. Several netizens and news reports including a News18 one claim that the clip is from Mumbai.
The clip has drawn varied reactions online. While some viewers have interpreted the gesture as an example of India's diverse cultural traditions and the sharing of customs across religious communities, others have questioned the blending of Hindu rituals with the veneration of Mother Mary.
Kalimata Idol Dressed As 'Mother Mary' In ChemburÂ
The video has also brought renewed attention to an earlier incident in Mumbai's Chembur area, where an idol of Goddess Kali was reportedly dressed in attire resembling that of Mother Mary, triggering objections from devotees and intervention by the police.
The incident occurred at the Kali Mata Temple in the Vashi Naka area of Chembur on November 23, 2025. According to reports, devotees visiting the temple were surprised to find the idol of Goddess Kali dressed in clothing resembling that associated with Mother Mary.
Priest Claims 'Goddess Appeared In Dream'
When devotees questioned the temple priest, identified as Ramesh, he reportedly claimed that the goddess had appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to adorn her in that manner. The explanation did not satisfy several devotees and members of local religious organisations, who objected to the change in the idol's appearance.
Following complaints, members of some local groups handed the priest over to the RCF police. Allegations that unknown individuals may have influenced or paid him to carry out the act also surfaced, but these claims were not independently established. A case was reportedly registered under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
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