On the same day of Mahashivratri, which is considered the most sacred day of worship of Lord Shiva, a sad news came out from Gadag district of Karnataka. Unidentified anti-social elements entered the ancient Ramalingeshwara Temple located in Shingatalur village and vandalized the temple premises. This incident has caused deep anger and pain among the local devotees.
According to the villagers, the temple was decorated a day before to celebrate Mahashivratri. When the devotees arrived in the morning for worship, the scene of the temple had changed. The idols kept inside were damaged. As soon as information about the incident was received, an atmosphere of tension was created in the village. Local people called it a direct attack on faith.