Archive · 15 Jan 2026
Cow dung water used to protest bodybuilding event
A group of people in Bhubaneswar, India, sprinkled cow dung water at a place called Bhajan Mandap near a temple.
They did this to protest a women’s bodybuilding competition that was held there.
The protesters thought the women’s dresses were not appropriate for the sacred place.
The women bodybuilders said they were just following the rules of their sport and felt disrespected by the protest.
A local leader also said such events should not be held near the temple.
The bodybuilding association defended the participants, saying they did nothing wrong.
A women’s bodybuilding championship was held at Bhajan Mandap near Lord Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar on January 10-11, 2026.
Protesters from 'Puruna Bhubaneswar Sachetan Nagarik Brunda' sprinkled cow dung water to 'purify' the place, claiming the event impure the sacred site.
Local corporator Siba Prasad Behera stated that such events should not be organized near the temple in the future.
Women bodybuilders and their association defended the event, stating they followed the dress code and the protest was disrespectful.
The Odisha Body Building Association chairperson, Sumitra Tripathy, clarified that the participants did nothing wrong and were following the sport's regulations.
- Who
- Members of 'Puruna Bhubaneswar Sachetan Nagarik Brunda' and women bodybuilders
- What
- Protest against a women’s bodybuilding championship by sprinkling cow dung water
- When
- January 10-11, 2026 (event), January 15, 2026 (protest)
- Where
- Bhajan Mandap near Lord Lingaraj temple, Bhubaneswar
- Why
- Protesters believed the event impure the sacred place; bodybuilders claimed they followed the dress code
- Event
- 12th East Zone Men’s & Women’s Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship 2026
- Location
- Bhajan Mandap near Lord Lingaraj temple, Bhubaneswar
- Date
- January 10-11, 2026
- Protesters
- Puruna Bhubaneswar Sachetan Nagarik Brunda
- Protest Action
- Sprinkled cow dung water as a purification ritual
- Bodybuilders' Response
- Claimed they followed the dress code and the protest was disrespectful
- Local Corporator
- Siba Prasad Behera
- Association Chairperson
- Sumitra Tripathy, Odisha Body Building Association