Latest news with #Shajahan
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Kerala Travel Vlogger Applies Sindoor On Women's Foreheads In Viral Video, Draws Netizens Ire
Last Updated: 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. top videos View All 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. About the Author Shobhit Gupta First Published:
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kerala travel vlogger faces backlash for applying sindoor on women's foreheads in viral video
A travel vlogger – Maheen Shajahan – from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is facing intense criticism after posting a video of himself visiting a Hindu temple with foreign friends and applying sindoor to their foreheads, a gesture many viewers called inappropriate and disrespectful to Hindu traditions. Shajahan shared the clip on his Instagram account (@ on May 25. In the video, he is seen entering the temple with his friends and greeting them by placing a sindoor on their foreheads. In the caption, Shajahan wrote: '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.' However, the clip quickly drew backlash online, with many netizens accusing him of misusing a sacred Hindu practice. Sindoor, traditionally applied by married Hindu women, is considered highly symbolic and not something others should apply casually or ceremonially without context. Now, in a statement given to Brut India, Shajahan clarified that none of the women in his video objected to his actions. In a video, Shajahan said, '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 also said that some were misusing his clip to fuel communal tensions, and apologised to those whose sentiments were hurt. A post shared by Brut India (@ Shajahan also shared that during a visit to the temple with friends, the priest handed them a plate of religious offerings, including sindoor. When he applied the sindoor to his friends' foreheads, his Hindu companions present at the scene didn't object and seemed perfectly comfortable with the gesture. The video uploaded by Brut India went viral and many took to the comments to share their views on it. Another user commented, 'Why is there so much intolerance in India?' One 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.
New Indian Express
01-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Kerala police scrutinise foreign trips of cyber fraud accused
KOCHI: Police have launched a detailed investigation into the international trips of two Muhamma residents allegedly linked to Chinese cyber fraud syndicates. The accused — Shajahan V A, 50, and Dileef A S, 43, both from Muhamma near Cherthala — were arrested following a probe into a cyber fraud case in which a Panampilly Nagar resident lost Rs 17.89 lakh in November 2024. As part of the investigation, police examined over 100 bank accounts and identified Shajahan as a key suspect. According to officials, Rs 11 lakh of the defrauded money was traced to accounts belonging to Shajahan and his brother-in-law, Dileef. 'The accused were primarily responsible for arranging bank accounts to be used in cyber fraud operations. We have been tracking Shajahan for over six months. During that time, we found that both he and Dileef travelled to Nepal and China, where they met Chinese nationals suspected of being involved in cyber fraud cases. They also made frequent trips to north Indian states to hold meetings,' a police officer said. Though the accused claimed that their foreign trips were for legitimate business purposes, they failed to produce convincing evidence to prove it. They reportedly created a bank account under the guise of an import-export business, which saw suspicious transactions amounting to over Rs 13 crore in a single year, with no evidence of actual business activity.
New Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
28.8 mm rain floods homes, roads, hits traffic in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Heavy rain across the city, recorded at 28.8 mm till 8.30 pm on Saturday, flooded low-lying areas and roads, and uprooted many trees. Water entered homes in NC Colony on Tannery Road and Sai Layout at Horamavu ward. 'These are low-lying areas and some houses were flooded. Steps are being taken to help the residents,' said an official. At East End in Jayanagar, a tree fell on a parked car and a jeep, damaging them. No injuries were reported. Shajahan, a resident of Sai Layout, went ballistic against the BBMP, saying, 'Nearly 250 homes in the layout were affected. The ground floor of my house is flooded, and there is 2 feet of water inside my house. Last year, too, we faced a similar problem and I had to take up a rented house paying Rs 25,000 because of this issue. It has been recurring for the last 10 years, but no one has worked towards a solution.' It was a hellish experience for motorists on roads. Kamesh, a resident of Balagere, said his car got stuck near Panathur S Cross in 2 feet of water and he had to push the vehicle with the help of his father. BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao rushed to the control room at the BBMP head office and directed officials to clear stagnated water from roads, clear uprooted trees and coordinate with the traffic police. The traffic police sent out alerts about slow-moving traffic in several places. East End Road towards Mount Carmel School Road was temporarily closed as a tree fell on the stretch. The upper ramp of Domlur flyover and many areas in Koramangala were waterlogged. Traffic was also slow near Manyata Tech Park.
