(MENAFN- Live Mint) An influencer cutting her birthday cake in Varanasi temple has sparked a row drawing sharp criticism from devotees and religious leaders.
A video of cake cutting celebration has gone viral on social media platforms.
Mamata Rai, a social media influencer with over 10 lakh followers on Instagram, celebrated her birthday by cutting a cake inside Varanasi's Kaal Bhairav Temple.
The reel shared on social media platform, opens with Mamata Rai entering the temple and performing rituals before she finally cuts the cake in the sanctum sanctorum. After this, she offered the first piece of cake to the deity.
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However, the temple's mahant (chief priest) Naveen Giri said that there was nothing new in it.
“She told us that she wanted to offer cake to the deity. It was nothing new, people do offer cake here at the temple. Like everyone, she also cut her cake here and offered it,” reported NDTV.
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Extending the justification, Naveen Giri alleged that the temple authorities were unaware that Mamata Rai had such a large following on social media.
“In the video, she presented it like she celebrated her birthday inside the temple. The temple management wasn't aware of it. This single incident was then blown out of proportion,” he added.
As a disapproval to the act, the temple management decided to ban cutting and offering cakes inside the temple.
Condemning the act, a religious body in Varanasi called it a violation of the temple's sanctity. The religious body called 'Kashi Vidwat Parishad' is planning to send a legal notice to the influencer.
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According to General Secretary of Kashi Vidwat Parishad Ram Narayan Dwivedi, cake cutting is not a part of traditional vedic practices. "One should seek blessings from the almighty on their birthday. Blowing candles and cutting cake inside temples like in the video is not okay. We will approach the Chief Minister to make sure such practices stop," NDTV quoted Ram Narayan Dwivedi as saying.
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