Lord Hanuman dressed as Santa Claus in Gujarat temple irks many

Lord Hanuman courted several controversies in 2018.  From Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Aditya Nath calling him a dalit to claims that he was a jat, a sportsperson, a Muslim, the monkey god has earned quite a "fame" for himself.

In the latest move, however, a temple in Gujarat has dressed up the Hanuman idol in a Santa Claus costume leaving many devotees angry.

The incident took place in Sarangpur Temple of Botad district of the state, where locals worship Hanuman as 'Kashtbhanjan Dev'. On Sunday (December 30), some Hindu devotees clothed the Hanuman statue in red and white robe worn by Santa Claus.

Brushing aside the controversy, the temple authorities said that the clothes were sent over by Lord Hanuman's devotees based in the US. "The clothes are woollen and they will prevent the God from catching a cold," the authorities said, as reported by India Today.

This move by the temple did not go as well as some devotees who visited the temple objected to the dress, expressing their anger and disappointment with the temple management.

The pictures of the idol dressed as Santa Claus has left many rattled on social media. With locals continuing to express their displeasure, the authorities later changed the dress.