Controversy erupted after a woman in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar – considered one of the holiest places in Hinduism – was seen bathing her dog in the Ganges, sparking an outcry from visitors. A video of the incident has been widely circulated on the internet. Reportedly shot at Sarvanad Ghat, the episode showed a heated exchange between the woman and the tourists.
What does a viral video show?
The viral clip showed a woman dressed in black sitting near a river bank with her visibly soaked dog. The person recording the video was heard saying, “Argument kai baad bhi inhone kha mai nihalungi” (She even insisted on bathing her pets after the argument). He further said, “Ghat par insan sakke yaa yai sakke” (People will bathe on the river bank or will they?). The person also claimed that despite repeated requests not to bathe her pet on site, she continued to speak “disrespectfully” to others.
A media report suggested that witnesses at the scene objected to the act, citing religious sensitivities associated with the river.
The foreign tourist receives resistance
Meanwhile, a foreign tourist faced backlash last year after she took a dip in the Ganga river in a bikini near Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh.
In the video, the woman was seen standing by a sacred river, dressed in a bikini and wearing a flower garland around her neck. She clasped her hands in prayer and appeared to pay her respects. After placing the garland in the water, she submerged and began to swim.
A woman was widely criticized on X after she took a sacred dip in tilaks and sacred garlands in a bikini. She was later seen in the video throwing the garlands into the river.
However, some netizens tried to defend her actions. One user said: “We shouldn’t be morally policing petty issues like these. She’s wearing clothes suitable for swimming or swimming in the river.”
Another user said: “People bathed naked. It’s literally written in scripture, painted on murals and depicted in our architecture. Ancient civilizations used to be more naturist. Nudity was not frowned upon and was actually accepted. Women can do whatever they want too.”
