A recent incident at the Taj Mahal involved a photographer who intervened when a group of young men allegedly harassed a foreign tourist during her photoshoot. The photographer confronted the men after they reportedly stood too close and stared at the woman. A video of this exchange was shared on Instagram on September 19 and has since gained traction online.
Won’t she feel awkward?” the photographer says in the video. The video has also prompted reactions about personal space and behaviour towards foreign visitors at crowded tourist sites. The clip was posted by a photographer from the Instagram account @official_tajmahal.photography. It shows a foreign woman posing for photographs near the Taj Mahal while three men stand nearby and watch her. The photographer approaches them and asks why they are standing so close to her. “Don’t you have anything else to do? If you are here to see the Taj Mahal, go see it. Why are you standing here (near the lady)? The men initially do not leave the area, and one of them responds that they are not doing anything wrong. The photographer continues to question them about why they are watching the woman. Another person then approaches the group and asks them to move away. The men eventually leave the area. The photographer later addressed the incident in the caption accompanying the video. “Civic sense in the world’s 6th-largest economy? Following foreign tourists around the Taj Mahal, staring at them and making them uncomfortable isn’t the kind of hospitality we should be proud of. Respect their space. Let them enjoy their experience,” he wrote. He also described the exchange in the video, saying, “What do I say? If someone sees them staring, will they not feel awkward? And then they are arguing with me. The video has prompted reactions from social media users, with many praising the photographer for confronting the group. Another user wrote, “Good answer you scolded them !!! They make people nervous. The incident has led to debate over how foreign tourists are treated at busy Indian tourist sites. The Taj Mahal draws visitors from India and abroad, while photographers, guides and tourists share crowded spaces around the monument.
Comments included, “Good job”, “Some one finally did it” and “Amazing to see someone confronting them!
