Indian-American influencer Aparna Singh is facing backlash for her TikTok video on Varanasi (Image: @aparnaofficial/Instagram)
Model and influencer Aparna Singh has apologised for her much-criticised video on the city of Varanasi. The Indian-American social media star had shared a TikTok video titled ‘Scariest city I ever visited: Varanasi, India’ which invited a wave of negative reactions for its portrayal of the holy city. Situated on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi -- or Kashi -- is considered sacred in Hinduism and attracts devotees from across the country.
Atlanta-based Aparna Singh visited the Indian city to meet the manufacturers who make jewellery for her brand, Indian Goddess Boutique.
She called it the scariest city she has ever visited in a TikTok video for which she has since apologised.
The video begins with Singh pointing out how polluted and full of sewage the Ganges river is. “You see people are bathing in it. On the way to the hotel you see dead bodies being burned, and look at the hotel – how creepy does it look?” she says.
Singh then proceeds to brand her hotel “old and creepy,” saying: “The door was creepy and the electric fences so monkeys don’t get in – and to go in and out of the hotel you have to go in this shady alley.”
“You see people sleeping in the middle of the street and even dogs – yeah you guys this place is really creepy.”
According to the New York Post, almost 10,000 people commented on the video, with many comments slamming Singh for her “disrespectful” take.
“Spiritual journey”. Yep!
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“Next time do your research beforehand and be open to new experiences without so much judgment,” one person wrote, to which Singh replied: “I did my research, it was worse than I imagined and I was scared.”
Another TikTok user said her use of the spooky music was unnecessary and also addressed some of the points she made in her video. “The reason why the Hindus bathe on the River Ganges is because it’s considered their holy sacred water and it is actually said that it removes all their papam – loosely translated as a sin,” the user explained, adding: Adding to that a lot of people come to die in this city, the reason being in the Hindu scriptures it is said that anyone that dies in this city are broken from the reincarnation cycle.”
According to the New York Post, Singh shared another video apologising for her comments.
“Like I said I would like to apologise because I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. I was simply just saying my experience,” she said.
“Maybe it was the tone, the music. I have been traveling everywhere and I have been posting about Jaipur, I’ve been posting about Mumbai.
“Y’all don’t care about the good videos I post but as soon as I say the bad experience I had, it just blown up – TikTok, that’s how y’all are,” Singh continued. “It is a beautiful country but this specific area, it just wasn’t my vibe. I get the people who go there for a spiritual journey; it is a sacred city with a lot of history. I get it, but it just wasn’t my vibe.”
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