Fed up with visitors leaving their footwear inside temple grounds, a temple in Dehradun took decisive action. Viral footage on social media shows the staff of Bhadraj Temple throwing shoes and slippers off the hillside to send a stern message to visitors.
A video shared by Instagram user Sooraj Dogra captures a person, likely a temple worker, systematically picking up shoes and slippers and tossing them over the guardrail into the chasm below.
“This is what happens when outsiders visit our sacred place and, despite clear instructions, still bring their shoes and slippers inside the temple,” Dogra wrote on Instagram while sharing the video. He also appealed to people visiting the temple: “Dear visitors, please respect our customs and traditions. Do not violate the sanctity of our land and nature.”
Take a look at the video here:
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Reactions to the video were mostly positive.
“Very Good… Appreciate the efforts. Let’s teach them difference between pilgrim & holiday place,” commented one user.
“Absolutely correct thing to do,” added another. A third person described it as the “Most satisfying video on Instagram.”
However, some criticized the action, pointing out that the staff shouldn’t have thrown waste into nature. “You throw those plastic-infused shoes on the hills and expect an unpolluted environment. This is the same as puncturing tyres of vehicles standing in front of your house. Can there be a better way of dealing with this nuisance?” questioned one individual.
Another commenter wondered what the visitors would do without their shoes, especially with no place to buy new ones on top of a hill.