1. Introduction
Darshana ("we", "our", or "us") is a spiritual social media platform that connects Hindu temples with devotees across India. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the Darshana mobile application ("App"), available on Google Play.
By using Darshana, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following types of information:
- Google Account Data — When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture as provided by Google OAuth 2.0.
- Profile Information — Display name and city. For temple accounts: temple name, primary deity, address, state, description, website, and YouTube channel.
- Aarti Timings — Temple administrators may enter Aarti schedule information.
- Usage Data — Temples you follow, content you view, and interactions within the app.
- Device & Push Notification Token — We collect your device's FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) token to deliver push notifications. This token is stored on our servers and deleted when you revoke notification permission or delete your account.
- Notification Preferences — Your in-app notification settings stored locally on your device and synced to our servers.
- Android Advertising ID — Google AdMob, our advertising partner, may collect your Android Advertising ID (GAID) and device information to serve relevant advertisements. This is collected only for users who have not opted out of personalized ads in their device settings. Premium subscribers do not see ads and this data is not collected for them.
- In-App Purchase Data — If you subscribe to Bhakt Premium, Google Play Billing processes your payment. We receive only purchase confirmation and subscription status; we do not receive or store your payment card details.
We do not collect precise location, contacts, SMS, microphone, camera, or any other sensitive device data.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, operate, and improve the Darshana platform
- Display temple profiles and Darshan content to devotees
- Facilitate the temple verification process
- Send push notifications about Aarti timings and temple updates (subject to your preferences)
- Display relevant advertisements to free users via Google AdMob (Premium subscribers are ad-free)
- Process and verify Bhakt Premium subscriptions
- Understand how users interact with the app to improve features
- Respond to support requests
4. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
- Temple Profiles — Temple names, descriptions, deity information, locations, and Aarti timings are publicly visible to all app users once verified.
- Devotee Profiles — Your display name and city are visible to temples you follow. Your email address is never shared publicly.
- Service Providers — We use a secured cloud database (Supabase, SOC 2 compliant) to store and manage your data, Google OAuth 2.0 for authentication, Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for push notifications, Google AdMob for advertising, and Google Play Billing for subscription processing. These providers process data solely on our behalf under strict data protection agreements.
- Legal Requirements — We may disclose information if required by law or in response to valid legal process.
5. Data Security
- All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections
- Data is stored on a secured, SOC 2 compliant cloud infrastructure with Row-Level Security (RLS) enabled
- Sign-in is handled exclusively via Google OAuth 2.0 — we never store your Google password
- Push notification tokens are stored securely and never exposed to other users
While we implement appropriate safeguards, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.
6. Your Rights (DPDP Act 2023)
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to:
- Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction — Update or correct inaccurate information via the Edit Profile screen
- Erasure — Request deletion of your account and all associated data
- Nomination — Nominate another person to exercise rights on your behalf
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@udaanpath.com.
7. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by applicable law.
Push notification tokens are deleted immediately upon account deletion or when notification permission is revoked.
8. Children's Privacy
Darshana is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.
All advertisements served through Google AdMob are restricted to G-rated, family-safe content. Personalized advertising is subject to Google's own child safety policies.
9. Live Darshan & YouTube
Darshana embeds live temple streams via YouTube IFrame Player. When you watch a Live Darshan, YouTube may collect data including your IP address and viewing activity subject to Google's Privacy Policy. We do not control YouTube's data practices.
10. Advertising
Darshana displays advertisements to free users through Google AdMob. Bhakt Premium subscribers are completely ad-free.
- AdMob may use your Android Advertising ID (GAID) and device information to serve personalized or non-personalized ads based on your settings.
- All ads served by AdMob on Darshana are restricted to G-rated, family-safe content (MaxAdContentRating.G).
- You can opt out of personalized ads at any time via your Android device settings: Settings → Google → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization.
- For more information on how Google uses data for advertising, see Google's Privacy Policy and How Google uses information from apps that use AdMob.
11. Third-Party Services
The Darshana app uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through an in-app notice. The "Effective Date" at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last updated.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 72 hours.