Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how ShivMarg.com ("ShivMarg", "we", "our", "us") collects, uses, stores, protects, and discloses information when you use our website or services. This Privacy Policy explains how ShivMarg processes personal data when you use our website, applications, accounts, devotional tools, and related services. Where consent is required by applicable law, ShivMarg will seek consent in an appropriate manner. Use of a service may also involve processing that is necessary to provide the service you requested, maintain security, comply with law, or perform other lawful purposes described in this Policy.

2. Data Protection Terminology & Our Role

For privacy and data-protection purposes, the terms below are used in this Policy:

• Personal Data / Personal Information: information that relates to an identifiable individual, as defined by applicable law.
• Data Principal: the individual to whom personal data relates, where this terminology applies under Indian data-protection law.
• Data Fiduciary: the person or organization that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data, where this terminology applies under Indian law.
• Data Processor / Service Provider: a third party that processes data on ShivMarg's behalf for services such as hosting, analytics, communications, security, infrastructure, or other operational functions.
• Processing: collecting, recording, organizing, storing, using, sharing, analyzing, deleting, or otherwise handling personal data.

ShivMarg acts as the operator of the ShivMarg platform and determines how information is used to provide and secure its services, subject to applicable law. Where third-party providers process information on our behalf, we seek to use appropriate providers and safeguards.

3. Purposes of Processing

Depending on the feature you use and the requirements of applicable law, ShivMarg may process personal data for purposes including:

• Creating and maintaining user accounts.
• Providing requested devotional content, tools, trackers, reminders, and personalized features.
• Synchronizing account and devotional records across supported devices.
• Displaying and managing user-generated content, comments, profiles, and community features.
• Responding to support requests, questions, feedback, and communications.
• Sending service communications, security notices, and optional newsletters or promotional communications.
• Understanding website usage, measuring performance, detecting errors, and improving our services.
• Displaying advertising and managing advertising preferences, where applicable.
• Preventing fraud, abuse, unauthorized access, spam, and other security threats.
• Complying with applicable legal obligations and responding to lawful requests.

Where consent is the applicable basis for a particular processing activity, you may withdraw that consent using the available consent or account controls, without affecting processing that was lawfully carried out before withdrawal.

4. Third-Party Service Providers & Data Processors

ShivMarg may use third-party providers to operate and improve the platform. Depending on the services currently enabled, these providers may support:

• Website hosting, cloud infrastructure, databases, and content delivery.
• Authentication, account security, and session management.
• Email delivery and communication services.
• Analytics, measurement, and performance monitoring.
• Advertising and advertising measurement.
• Push notifications and application infrastructure.
• Security, abuse prevention, logging, and technical support.

These providers may process limited information necessary to perform their services. Their handling of information may also be governed by their own privacy policies and contractual obligations.

5. International Data Processing & Transfers

Some ShivMarg service providers or infrastructure may be located outside India. As a result, personal data may be processed or stored in countries other than the country in which you live. Where cross-border processing or transfer is subject to legal requirements, ShivMarg will take steps required by applicable law and applicable contractual or technical safeguards.

Because the specific providers and infrastructure used by ShivMarg may change over time, this Policy describes categories of processing rather than an exhaustive list of every infrastructure location.

6. Cookies, Local Storage & Consent Management

ShivMarg uses cookies, local storage, session technologies, and similar technologies for different purposes. These may include:

• Strictly Necessary: login sessions, security, basic functionality, consent preferences, and essential site operation.
• Functional / Preference: language, interface preferences, saved settings, and devotional-tool preferences.
• Analytics: understanding traffic, usage patterns, performance, and technical issues.
• Advertising: serving, measuring, or personalizing advertising where applicable and according to your available choices.

Where a consent mechanism is provided, you can review or change available analytics and advertising choices through the Cookie Settings control or applicable browser/device settings. Some strictly necessary technologies cannot be disabled without affecting core functionality.

Third-party services, including advertising and analytics providers, may use their own cookies or similar technologies subject to their respective policies and applicable law.

7. Google Analytics, Google Advertising & Measurement

ShivMarg may use Google services for analytics, advertising, conversion measurement, and related functionality. These services may process technical information such as device or browser information, pages or events interacted with, approximate location derived from network information, and other information permitted by the relevant configuration.

Advertising and analytics technologies may use cookies or similar identifiers. The availability of personalized advertising and the information used for advertising may depend on your consent choices, browser/device settings, the relevant Google service configuration, and applicable law.

Because third-party providers control their own processing, you should also review the applicable privacy information provided by those providers.

8. Public Information & User-Generated Content

Information you intentionally publish through public or community features should not be treated as confidential. Depending on the feature and your settings, public content may include your display name, profile image, author information, comments, articles, devotional posts, or other information you choose to publish.

Do not publish passwords, financial information, government identification numbers, private contact information, or other sensitive information in public comments, articles, profiles, or community areas.

Removing public content from ShivMarg may not remove copies that were previously cached, indexed, quoted, shared, or otherwise retained by third parties.

9. Account Deletion & Data Erasure

Where account deletion or data erasure is available, you may request deletion of your account or personal data through the applicable account controls or by contacting ShivMarg.

Deletion requests may be subject to identity verification and applicable legal exceptions. Some information may be retained for a limited period when reasonably necessary for legal compliance, security, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, accounting, or enforcement of our policies. Where information is retained for these reasons, it will not be retained longer than necessary for the applicable purpose.

10. Account Deletion & Personal Data Deletion Requests

ShivMarg provides separate options for users who wish to request deletion of their entire account or deletion of specific personal data associated with their account. Submitting a deletion request does not itself immediately delete your account or personal data. Requests are submitted to the ShivMarg administration system for verification, review, and processing.

Account Deletion Request

If you wish to delete your complete ShivMarg account, you may submit a request through the dedicated account deletion request page. Submitting the request does not immediately deactivate or permanently delete the account. The account may remain available while the request is being verified and reviewed, unless ShivMarg determines that temporary restriction, deactivation, or another protective measure is appropriate.

Personal Data Deletion Request

If you wish to keep your ShivMarg account but request deletion of selected personal data, you may use the dedicated data deletion request page. Depending on the information involved and applicable requirements, a request may cover eligible profile information, comments, activity and usage history, author-profile information, or other eligible personal data.

Certain information may not be deleted where ShivMarg is required or otherwise permitted by applicable law to retain it, or where retention is reasonably necessary for security, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, legal claims, accounting, enforcement of policies, or other lawful purposes.

How Deletion Requests Are Processed

• 1. Submit: You submit an account deletion or personal data deletion request through the applicable ShivMarg request mechanism.
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• 2. Verification: ShivMarg may verify account ownership or request reasonably necessary information to help prevent unauthorized deletion requests.
• 3. Review: ShivMarg reviews the request to determine which information is eligible for deletion and whether any information must or may lawfully be retained.
• 4. Decision: The request may be approved in full, approved in part, or declined or limited where deletion is not permitted, where retention is required or otherwise legally justified, or where the request cannot reasonably be completed because of applicable security or technical requirements.
• 5. Completion: Where deletion is approved, ShivMarg will delete, anonymize, disable, or otherwise remove eligible information from applicable active systems, as appropriate. The request status will be updated when the applicable action has been completed.
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Soft Deletion

Where appropriate, ShivMarg may use a soft-deletion process instead of immediately removing all underlying records. A soft-deleted account may be disabled or hidden from normal use while certain records are retained for a limited or applicable period where reasonably necessary for security, legal compliance, technical operations, audit purposes, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, or other lawful purposes.

Soft deletion does not necessarily mean that every underlying record has been permanently erased.

Permanent Deletion

Where permanent deletion is approved and technically and legally permitted, ShivMarg will delete or anonymize eligible account and personal-data records from applicable active systems.

User-generated public content may be deleted, anonymized, de-identified, or handled separately where necessary to preserve the integrity, security, or operation of ShivMarg.

Information that ShivMarg is required or otherwise legally permitted to retain may continue to be retained for the applicable retention period. Such retained information will not be used for purposes that are incompatible with the reason for which it is retained.

Deletion Request Status

After submitting a deletion request, users may be able to view the request status through the available ShivMarg account controls.

Depending on the stage of processing, a request may display statuses such as Pending, Under Review, Approved, Rejected, Completed, or Cancelled. Where cancellation is available, a pending request may be cancelled before the applicable deletion action is completed.

Processing Time

ShivMarg will review and process deletion requests within a reasonable period, taking into account the nature and scope of the request, account verification requirements, technical requirements, applicable law, and any necessary retention obligations.

If additional information or verification is reasonably necessary to process a request, the processing period may be extended as appropriate. ShivMarg may contact the requester where additional information is required.

Questions About Personal Data

If you have questions about the processing of your personal data, a deletion request, or information retained by ShivMarg, you may contact ShivMarg using the privacy or data-protection contact details provided on this website.

11. Security Incidents & Data Breaches

ShivMarg uses reasonable technical, organizational, and administrative measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. If we become aware of a personal-data breach or security incident requiring action under applicable law, we will assess the incident and take steps required by law, which may include containment, investigation, remediation, and notifications to affected persons or authorities where required.

No online service, transmission method, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

11. Automated Processing, Personalization & AI Features

ShivMarg may use rules, algorithms, analytics, or similar technologies to personalize content, recommendations, reminders, devotional statistics, or other features. If AI-assisted features are introduced or enabled, information may be processed to generate responses or recommendations requested by the user.

AI-assisted or automated spiritual content is provided for informational and devotional purposes and should not be relied upon as professional medical, legal, financial, emergency, or other regulated advice. Where a feature involves materially different categories of personal-data processing, ShivMarg may update this Policy and provide additional notice where required.

12. Privacy Requests & Grievances

You may contact ShivMarg regarding privacy questions, requests, correction, deletion, consent withdrawal, or concerns about the handling of your personal data through our Contact page or official support contact.

Where applicable law provides a formal grievance or complaint mechanism, ShivMarg will provide the information or process required for you to exercise that mechanism. We may request reasonable information to verify a request before taking action on an account or personal-data request.

13. Information We Collect

To provide and improve our services, maintain account and platform security, and support personalized features, ShivMarg may collect different categories of information depending on how you interact with our website, mobile application, accounts, and devotional tools. Some information is provided directly by you, while certain technical and usage information may be collected automatically through your browser or device.

13.1 Personal Information You Provide

When you create an account, contact us, participate in community activities, subscribe to newsletters, or use personalized features, we may collect information such as:

• Full Name
• Display Name or Username
• Email Address
• Profile Photograph (if uploaded)
• Date of Birth (if provided)
• Gender (optional)
• Language Preferences
• Country, State, or City (optional)
• Password (stored securely in encrypted/hashed form)
• Profile Biography or About Information (optional)

13.2 Account Registration Information

When you register for a ShivMarg account, we may collect information required to create and maintain your account, including:

• Email verification status.
• Unique User ID.
• Account creation date.
• Last login information.
• Account status.
• Login history (where applicable).
• Authentication tokens or session identifiers.

13.3 Information You Submit

We collect information that you voluntarily submit while using ShivMarg services, including:

• Comments on articles, mantras, aartis, stotras, and devotional pages.
• Contact form messages.
• Support requests.
• Feedback and suggestions.
• Bug reports.
• Feature requests.
• Prayer requests (if available).
• Questions submitted to our team.

13.4 Newsletter & Email Subscription

If you subscribe to our newsletter or devotional updates, we may collect:

• Email address.
• Subscription preferences.
• Email delivery status.
• Email open and click statistics (where supported).
• Subscription and unsubscribe history.

13.5 User Generated Content

ShivMarg may allow registered users to contribute devotional content. Information submitted by you may include:

• Articles about Hindu festivals.
• Mantra explanations.
• Puja guides.
• Devotional blogs.
• Spiritual experiences.
• Educational religious content.
• Comments and replies.

Depending on your privacy settings and moderation status, this content may become publicly visible on ShivMarg.

13.6 Information from Devotional Features

When you use ShivMarg's personalized spiritual tools, additional information may be collected as described in Section 16 – Spiritual Tools, Personal Records & User Activities. This may include jap records, daily puja history, devotional milestones, family participation, reminder preferences, and related activity.

13.7 Information We Generally Do Not Collect

• Government-issued identification numbers.
• Financial account or payment card details.
• Bank account information.
• Passwords for third-party services.
• Biometric information.
• Health records.
• Precise real-time location.

We encourage users not to submit sensitive personal information through comments, public posts, or contact forms unless specifically requested by ShivMarg for a legitimate purpose.

14. Information Collected Automatically

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Operating system
• Pages visited
• Visit duration
• Referral source
• Date and time

15. Cookies & Local Storage

We use cookies and browser local storage to remember preferences, improve performance, maintain login sessions, store Jap Counter settings, language preferences, and enhance your browsing experience. You may disable cookies through your browser, although certain features may not function correctly.

16. Spiritual Tools, Personal Records & User Activities

ShivMarg is designed to provide a personalized spiritual experience. Several devotional tools available on our platform allow users to track their spiritual journey, maintain personal records, participate with family members, and receive reminders for daily religious practices. The information collected through these tools is used solely to provide the requested functionality, improve user experience, and personalize devotional services.

16.1 Jap Counter & Jap History

When you use the ShivMarg Jap Counter, we may securely store your jap records to help you monitor your spiritual progress. Depending on the features you choose to use, we may store:

• Total number of mantra chants completed.
• Name of the mantra being chanted.
• Date and time of each jap session.
• Daily, weekly, monthly, and lifetime jap statistics.
• Personal jap goals and completion progress.
• Streaks, milestones, and achievements.
• Favorite mantras selected by you.
• Optional personal notes related to your spiritual practice.

This information is available only within your account and helps you maintain a continuous spiritual record across devices.

16.2 Daily Puja Tracker

ShivMarg allows users to maintain a personal Daily Puja record. Information that may be stored includes:

• Daily Puja completion status.
• Date and time of each completed puja.
• Selected deity or puja type.
• Personal puja notes.
• Special vrat or festival participation.
• Prayer goals and devotional routines.
• Historical puja records and statistics.

16.3 Family Spiritual Dashboard

Users may invite family members to participate in shared spiritual activities. When this feature is enabled, family members who have been granted appropriate permission may be able to view shared devotional information, including:

• Family members' Jap progress.
• Daily Puja completion.
• Shared devotional challenges.
• Collective family spiritual goals.
• Festival participation records.
• Leaderboards or family contribution summaries (if available).

Family data is shared only with members who are part of your approved family group.

16.4 Daily Reminder Notifications

If you enable notifications, ShivMarg may send reminders through your browser, mobile application, or email to help you maintain your spiritual routine. These reminders may include:

• Daily Jap reminders.
• Daily Puja reminders.
• Missed Puja notifications.
• Missed Jap reminders.
• Festival reminders.
• Ekadashi, Pradosh, Shivratri, Purnima and Amavasya reminders.
• Sankalp challenge notifications.
• Personal milestone celebrations.

Notification preferences can be changed or disabled at any time from your account settings or your device settings.

16.5 Mobile Application Synchronization

If you use the ShivMarg mobile application, your devotional records may be synchronized securely between the website and the mobile application so that your spiritual progress remains available across all supported devices.

16.6 Email Communications

If you subscribe to ShivMarg emails, we may send:

• New articles.
• Festival guides.
• New mantras, stotras, aartis and chalisa updates.
• Panchang updates.
• Important website announcements.
• Security alerts.
• Feature announcements.
• Spiritual newsletters.

You may unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in each email.

16.7 User Generated Content

ShivMarg may allow registered users to contribute devotional content. Depending on available features, users may be able to:

• Write articles related to Hindu festivals.
• Publish devotional blogs.
• Share mantra meanings and explanations.
• Submit spiritual experiences.
• Write puja guides.
• Create educational devotional content.
• Comment on articles.

Content submitted by users may become publicly visible after moderation. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or remove content that violates our Terms of Service or Community Guidelines.

16.8 Profile & Activity Dashboard

Your ShivMarg profile may display your personal devotional activity and account information, including:

• Profile information.
• Account creation date.
• Total Jap count.
• Daily Puja history.
• Festival participation.
• Saved mantras.
• Bookmarked articles.
• Reading history.
• Comments posted.
• Articles published by you.
• Notification history.
• Email subscription preferences.
• Device sessions (where available).
• Recent account activity.
• Achievement badges and devotional milestones (if introduced).

16.9 Future Spiritual Features

As ShivMarg continues to evolve, additional devotional tools may become available, including digital spiritual diaries, sankalp tracking, family challenges, temple visit history, donation records, audio playlists, meditation timers, AI-assisted spiritual guidance, personalized recommendations, and other features designed to enhance your spiritual journey. Whenever new features involve the collection of personal information, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.

We do not sell your spiritual records, devotional history, or personal religious activity to third parties. Information collected through these tools is used only to provide requested services, personalize your experience, improve platform functionality, maintain synchronization across devices, and ensure the proper operation and security of ShivMarg.

17. Comments

Comments submitted by users may display the name, profile image (if available), comment text, and posting date publicly. We reserve the right to moderate, edit, or remove spam, abusive, misleading, or unlawful comments.

18. Email Communications

If you subscribe to newsletters or contact us, we may send service announcements, devotional updates, festival reminders, newsletters, security notifications, and responses to your inquiries. You can unsubscribe at any time.

19. Advertising & Affiliate Links

ShivMarg may display advertisements including Google AdSense and affiliate links such as Amazon Associates. Clicking affiliate links may result in commissions at no additional cost to you. Third-party advertisers may use cookies according to their own privacy policies.

20. Analytics

We may use analytics services to understand website traffic, improve performance, identify technical issues, and enhance user experience. Analytics providers may collect technical usage information according to their own privacy policies.

21. Push Notifications

If enabled, we may send devotional reminders, festival alerts, Panchang updates, or important service notifications. You can disable notifications at any time through your browser or device settings.

22. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. Data may be shared only where reasonably necessary with trusted service providers required for hosting, analytics, email delivery, payment processing (if introduced), notifications, security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or other services you request. The specific providers may change as the platform evolves, and this Policy describes the categories of providers and processing rather than an exhaustive vendor list.

23. Data Security

We implement administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect your information. However, no Internet transmission or storage method can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

24. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children where prohibited by applicable law.

25. Your Rights

• Request access to personal data, where provided by applicable law.
• Request correction or updating of inaccurate personal data.
• Request deletion or erasure where legally applicable.
• Withdraw consent where processing depends on consent, without affecting prior lawful processing.
• Manage available cookie, notification, and communication preferences.
• Raise a privacy question, request, or grievance with ShivMarg.

26. Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as necessary to provide services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, maintain security, and enforce our policies.

27. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to YouTube, Google, Amazon, social media platforms, and other external websites. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

28. Compliance

We seek to comply with applicable privacy and data-protection requirements, including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, as and when applicable to the relevant processing activity and as their provisions come into force, and other applicable laws. This Policy is intended to describe our privacy practices and is not a substitute for legal advice.

29. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Material updates will be reflected by revising the effective date on this page.

30. Contact Us

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us using the contact page on ShivMarg.com or email your official support address.

31. Consent

By using ShivMarg.com, you acknowledge that you have been provided access to this Privacy Policy. Processing of personal data will occur as described here and, where required by applicable law, on the basis of consent or another lawful basis. Where consent is requested, you may withdraw it using the available controls without affecting processing that was lawfully carried out before withdrawal.