Dehradun temple throws slippers off the hillside in viral video: ‘respect our customs’

Tired of visitors leaving their footwear inside temple premises, a temple in Dehradun took matters into their own hands. Footage that has been going steadily viral on social media shows the staff of Bhadraj Temple throwing shoes and slippers off the hillside to send a strict message to visitors.

Standing on top of a hill, the Bhadraj Temple is a picturesque marble shrine dedicated to Lord Bal Bhadra (also known as Balram). The temple is located around 12 km away from Mussoorie in Uttarakhand and can be reached through a short trek. While devotees throng to the temple to offer their prayers, it also receives thousands of visitors who come for spectacular views of the Doon Valley below.

A video shared by Instagram user Sooraj Dogra shows a person, probably a temple worker, methodically picking up shoes and slippers and throwing them off the guardrail into the abyss below.

“This is what happens when outsiders visit our sacred place and, despite clear instructions, still bring their shoes and slippers inside the temple,” Dogra wrote while sharing the video on Instagram. He added an appeal to people visiting the temple: “Dear visitors, please respect our customs and traditions. Do not violate the sanctity of our land and nature.”

Take a look at the video below:

Reactions to the clip were largely supportive.

“Very Good... Appreciate the efforts. Let's teach them difference between pilgrim & holiday place,” wrote one commenter.

“Absolutely correct thing to do,” another said. A third person called it the “Most satisfying video on Instagram.”

A few people, however, criticised the move saying staff should not have thrown waste into nature. “ you throw those plastic infused shoes on the hills and expect an unpolluted environment. This is the same as puncturing tyres of vehicles standing in front of your house. Can there be a better way of dealing with this nuisance?” asked one person.

Another wondered what the visitors would do without their shoes and no place to buy new ones on top of a hill.