A video featuring a unique protest in Karnataka’s Udupi has captured the public’s attention and gone viral on social media. The footage showcases a person dressed as ‘Yamaraja,’ the Hindu deity known as the God of Death, conducting a long jump competition on a road riddled with potholes. The event took place on the Adi Udupi-Malpe road, a vital link connecting Udupi to the popular Malpe Beach, which has been plagued by poor road conditions.
In the video, ‘Yamaraja,’ dressed in traditional attire, is seen measuring long jumps made by individuals dressed as ghosts. The scene is further animated by the presence of another participant dressed as ‘Chitragupta,’ the Hindu deity who records the deeds of the deceased and assists ‘Yamaraja’ in his duties.
Watch video:
Yamaraja conducts long jump competition for the dead in Udupi, Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/MLBxCuZoZn
— Karthik Reddy (@bykarthikreddy) August 27, 2024
This imaginative protest was organized to draw attention to the severe pothole problem affecting the road. The organizers aimed to highlight the daily struggles faced by commuters due to the dilapidated state of the road.
This creative demonstration follows an earlier protest in Hyderabad, where a woman took an unusual approach to highlight the poor condition of city roads. Earlier this year, she sat in a pothole filled with muddy water to bring attention to the issue. She claimed her children had been injured from falling into potholes, noting that the stretch from Nagole to Uppal had up to 30 potholes.
Her protest was underscored by a placard reading, “Where is our road tax and municipal tax?”—a call for accountability and action from local authorities.
Both protests underscore the growing frustration of citizens facing hazardous road conditions and their creative efforts to demand improvements. While the methods may vary, the underlying message remains clear: urgent attention is needed to address infrastructure issues and ensure safer, more reliable roadways for all.
