Golden Temple (Image Source: TOI)
On June 22, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) took action against a young woman who had practised Yoga within the premises of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, filing a formal police complaint against her. Alongside this, SGPC also initiated disciplinary measures against three of its employees for their perceived negligence in duty.
The incident occurred on International Yoga Day, 21 June, when Archana Makwana, a social media influencer, shared a story on her Instagram account. The story depicted her performing Yogasanas at Shri Harmandir Sahib, a site revered by Sikhs worldwide.
Following a backlash over her actions, Makwana issued a public apology on 22 June, expressing regret for unintentionally hurting religious sentiments.
In a statement posted on Instagram, she clarified her intentions, saying, “I recently posted something without intending to harm anyone’s religious sentiments. I was unaware that practicing yoga in the Gurdwara Sahib premises could be offensive to some as I was just paying my respect to him and didn’t mean any harm to anyone.”
Makwana continued, “I sincerely apologise for any hurt I may have caused and promise to be more mindful in the future. Please accept my sincere apologies. Thank you for your understanding.”
Despite her apology, Makwana revealed in another Instagram story that she had received death threats via phone calls. The situation escalated despite her efforts to express remorse and seek understanding from the community affected by her actions.
The incident has sparked a debate on social media regarding cultural and religious appropriateness in public displays and has highlighted the consequences of unintentional cultural insensitivity in the age of digital media.
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