Bengaluru, 23 Sept

A woman in Bengaluru is facing severe criticism after a video surfaced showing her destroying a Pookalam (floral carpet) arranged by children to celebrate Onam. The incident took place in Monarch Serenity Apartment Complex, located in Hegde Nagar, East Bengaluru.

In the viral video, the woman, identified by residents as Simi Nair, can be seen arguing with other residents in a mix of English and Malayalam before proceeding to ruin the Pookalam.

According to the residents, it had taken the children several hours to arrange the intricate floral pattern. “What she did was deeply hurtful,” a software engineer staying at the apartment complex told Salar News. Another resident and a member of the residents’ association, Karthik Kumar, said, “We have not taken any action against her nor given a complaint of any sort. We are trying to resolve this within our community.”

While the exact reasons behind the woman’s actions remain unclear, her behaviour has triggered a flurry of reactions online. One user on X named Rithik commented, “How much hate on other's community/religion festivals is growing nowadays.” Another user named Pavan Uppoju, commented “Where is our education, at this age, she will not be happy and not let others be happy, soft beautiful flowers n good smell all around, how can one do this, oh god save this mother.” –Salar News