Viral Kochi Water Metro Garba video sparks online debate

A video of a group of tourists, said to be from Gujarat, performing Garba, a folk dance associated with the Navaratri festival, has sparked heated debate online. The video, which has gone viral on social media, has left people divided over issues of civic sense and cultural expression.

In a video posted by a Kochi Water Metro rider on Instagram, a group of five men and women of various ages can be seen dancing. “Caught this beautiful moment on my way to Fort Kochi today,” the user wrote. The caption also asked: “What do we think – is this a harmless atmosphere or a public transport offence?”, which sparked online debate.

While some people praised the tourists, describing the dance as an act of “enjoying every moment”, the video also drew a barrage of criticism from netizens who saw it as “not a good example”. Industrialist Harsh Goenka was among the critics. He reposted the video on X and wrote, “Now Garba in Kochi water metro! This is seriously getting out of hand now.”

Videos of tourists performing the dance form on the Great Wall of China and in the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam have gone viral before.

Responding to the debate on social media, the Kochi Metro authorities said they took cognizance of the incident and decided not to take any action as it did not raise any security concerns. “Passengers have every right to carry out cultural activity on board a vessel as long as it does not cause inconvenience, harassment or safety concerns to others. The captain of the vessel informed that the said incident did not cause any inconvenience or safety concerns,” said a senior metro official.

Published – 16 Jun 2026 21:55 IST