A video from a hospital in Rajkot, Gujarat, has gone viral on social media after it showed hospital staff appearing to conduct a medical examination of a Laddu Gopal idol, a figurine representing the child form of Lord Krishna in Hindu tradition.
The 58-second clip shows hospital personnel handling the idol in a manner similar to the care given to an infant during a routine medical checkup. The video triggered mixed reactions online, with some users criticising the incident as unprofessional and inappropriate in a clinical setting.
Critics on social media questioned why medical staff were examining a religious figurine while patients may have been waiting for treatment. Some users described the episode as embarrassing and raised concerns about the institution’s standards.
At the same time, devotees of Laddu Gopal defended the practice, saying the idol is traditionally treated as a living child in many Hindu households. Devotees often bathe, dress, and feed the figurine daily and consider it an embodiment of Lord Krishna.
Similar incidents have drawn public attention in the past.
In 2021, a priest in Agra reportedly took a Laddu Gopal idol to a district hospital after accidentally damaging its arm during a ritual bath. According to reports, the hospital later bandaged the idol after the priest became distressed.
In another incident in Uttar Pradesh in 2024, a woman reportedly called an ambulance for her Laddu Gopal idol after it fell. A doctor at a community health centre examined the idol with a stethoscope to comfort the devotee.
No official statement had been issued by the Rajkot hospital yet.