A video is going viral on Instagram showing a local man throwing away tourists’ shoes and slippers left inside the Bhadraj Temple in Dehradun, the capital of India’s Uttarakhand state. In the video, the man is tossing the footwear over the temple boundary and down the hills.
The text on the video says, “This is what happens when outsiders visit our sacred place and, despite clear instructions, still bring their shoes and slippers inside the temple. Dear visitors, please respect our customs and traditions. Do not violate the sanctity of our land and nature.”
The video has sparked strong reactions. Many criticized the man for being too harsh and for polluting nature. One Instagram user commented, “So, you throw those plastic-infused shoes on the hills and expect an unpolluted environment. This is like puncturing the tires of cars parked in front of your house. There must be a better way to handle this.”
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Another person wrote, “This guy is destroying the very nature the temple is built on. Instead, he should have put all the slippers into a bag and thrown them away elsewhere.”
Someone suggested that the temple should have a dedicated shoe rack for visitors. “Can’t there be a shoe rack facility from donated money instead of throwing garbage (shoes here) among trees?” wrote an Instagram user.
However, many people supported the man’s firm action. One user wrote, “The same should be done in Tapkeshwar temple. People are so disrespectful and throw their shoes anywhere even though there is a designated space for it. They are not ready to pay 10 rupees for it. Absolutely shameful.”
The Bhadraj Temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna’s brother, Lord Balram. Located on a hilltop near Mussoorie and Dehradun in India, visitors have to trek about 12 kilometers to reach it from the Library End in Mussoorie.
