Kerala Travel Vlogger Applies Sindoor On Women's Foreheads In Viral Video, Draws Netizens Ire

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The vlogger, identified as Maheen Shajahan shared the video on his Instagram handle where he was seen entering the temple with his friends and greeting them by placing sindoor.
A Kerala-based travel vlogger is facing backlash after sharing a video of himself visiting a Hindu temple with foreign friends and applying sindoor to their foreheads. Many viewers have deemed the act inappropriate and disrespectful to Hindu traditions.
The vlogger, identified as Maheen Shajahan shared the video on his Instagram handle where he was seen entering the temple with his friends and greeting them by placing a sindoor on their foreheads.
'Muslim boy in Kerala Temple; In Kerala, faith isn't a barrier – it's a bridge. As a Muslim visiting a Hindu temple with my foreign friends, I felt nothing but warmth, welcome, and peace. Here, in this lush corner of India, religious harmony isn't just an idea – it's lived every day. We respect. We celebrate. We share. Different paths, one love," he captioned the video.
However, the clip quickly drew backlash online, with many netizens accusing him of misusing a sacred Hindu practice.
'Sindoor', the Hindi word for vermillion that married Hindu women apply to their foreheads, holds age-old significance in Hinduism. Traditionally worn by Indian women to signify their married status, 'sindoor' is first applied by a woman's husband during the 'pheras' (ritual related to marriage) on their wedding day.
Amid the backlash, Shajahan clarified that none of the women in his video objected to his actions.
'I was very aware that married people put this (sindoor) but I wasn't aware that this was such an important thing and no other person can put it. If I would have known, I wouldn't have done that cause I'm a traveller and I try to respect all religions even though I don't believe in religion," he clarified in a statement given to Brut India.
He also said that some were misusing his clip to fuel communal tensions, and apologised to those whose sentiments were hurt.
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The video uploaded by Brut India went viral and many took to the comments to share their views on it. One user commented, 'Why is there so much intolerance in India?" Another user said, 'It's acceptable in movies but it's not for the reels."
Shajahan left a comment on the video as well. 'Peace peace peace. I never tried to offend any religion. As a Malayali, I had the freedom to enter all the religious centers in Kerala without problems. I never had to face any backlash. We lived in peace. Unfortunately time changed and nowadays politics dividing people," he wrote.
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Shobhit Gupta
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