Foreigner takes dip in River Ganga wearing bikini, leaves internet divided

(Image: X)

A foreign tourist sparked controversy after she took a dip in Ganga River wearing a bikini near Rishikesh's iconic Lakshman Jhula, leaving the internet divided.

A video of her taking a dip has gone viral on social media.

Maa Ganga is a sacred river, not a beach or a swimming pool. Show respect wear decent attire, not a bikini. pic.twitter.com/KUbyVhw0u3

— Hindutva Vigilant (@VigilntHindutva) October 20, 2025

In the video, the woman can be seen standing by the holy river, wearing a bikini set and a garland of flowers around her neck. She folds her hands in prayer, seemingly offering her respects. After placing the garland into the water, she takes a dip and begins swimming.

The foreigner got brutally slammed on X, the reason being, she took a holy dip with a tilak and sacred garlands while wearing a bikini. In the video, the woman can later be seen throwing away the garlands into the river.

However, some netizens also attempted to defend her actions. One user stated, "We shouldn’t do moral policing on petty topics like these. She’s wearing a proper attire for swimming or taking bath in the river."

The next one stated, "People used to bath naked. Its literally written in scripture, painted in murals and depicted in our architecture. Ancient civilizations used to be more in spirit with Naturism. Nudity wasn't frowned upon and in fact it was accepted. Also, Women are free to do as they wish."

Another pointed out the double standards, saying, “Aadmi log kachha pehn kar nahaye toh woh disrespect nahi?" implying that local men often bathe wearing nothing but just innerwear.

Although, not everyone agreed. A section of the Internet strongly criticised the act, saying that such behaviour goes against Indian traditions. According to them, it shows insensitivity towards religious sentiments. “These people can defend anything that makes them look secular and open-minded. Jo apne basic cultural rules ko nahi support kar sakta, usko western culture bada samajh aata," one user wrote.

Sharing the video, a netizen wrote, "Maa Ganga is a sacred river, not a beach or a swimming pool. Show respect wear decent attire, not a bikini."

Another comment read, “I am thinking, why didn’t people stop them? Waise toh Indian women aisa karti toh case ho jaata, lekin foreigners kare toh kuch nahi."