- Video shows Indians celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in a Texas parking lot outside India Bazaar
- Some social media users labelled the celebration a public nuisance, others defended it
- India Bazaar's website lists Ganesh Chaturthi events with dhol tasha performances in Lewisville
A video of Indians celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in a Texas parking lot has received mixed reactions from social media users. The clip shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user shows a group of Indians clad in traditional attire, belting the drums in the open parking area outside India Bazaar in Lewisville, Texas, to mark the festival.
"This public nuisance in USA is becoming a habit by recently immigrated Indians, which needs to be stopped and reported," the user captioned the video.
"This is parking lot of India Bazaar in Lewisville Texas @LewisvilleTexas @LewisvillePD I am sure these people have no permission what so ever, I request you to kindly look into this matter. We have enough temples to do all this, public nuisance shouldn't be tolerated at any cost."
See the viral video here:
As the video went viral, garnering over 1.1 lakh views, a section of users called the celebration a “public nuisance”, while others said such celebrations that take place once a year should not be scrutinised this way.
"Why do they think they are in Borivali? Zero civic sense, nuisance creators wherever they go," said one user while another added: "To me it looks like the store owner may have arranged it. Probably to attract more customers."
A third commented: "Have always believed people should adopt to lifestyle and culture of the country migrating. If they want to continue with the same mindset, better stay in their own country."
A fourth said: "Hello Mr Dandiya, as per Texas laws playing music in public is not prohibited nor are gathetings of small groups. So the group enjoying drums and having a small gathering at Ganesha is perfectly legal."
Notably, India Bazaar's official website mentions Ganesh Chaturthi events featuring dhol tasha performances across multiple locations, including Lewisville, held between August 23 and August 26.
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Previous instance
This is not the first instance when Indians celebrating festivals abroad has divided the internet. Last month, the Indian community in Canada held a grand Ganga Aarti on the banks of Credit River in Mississauga.
The NRIs organised the rituals to recreate the iconic aartis performed in India, especially in Varanasi, Rishikesh and Haridwar. According to the Indian Consulate in Toronto, the event was organised by Radio Dhishum with Consul Sanjeev Saklani among the attendees.
As the video went viral, it received mixed reactions from social media users, with a section lauding them for celebrating the traditions, while others stated they might be polluting the local river.
