A content creator has gone viral after conducting what he described as a "social experiment" in the holy town of Rishikesh, claiming to have earned ₹2,350 in about three hours by applying tilak to visitors. The video, shared by social media creator Tanee Thakur, has garnered more than 4 million views and triggered widespread discussion online.
According to Thakur, he dressed in a traditional outfit and walked through Rishikesh offering to apply tilak on people's foreheads. The video shows him approaching passersby, with many declining the offer while some agreed.
"So I put on this traditional outfit and stepped out on the streets of Rishikesh to apply tilak. People are literally refusing to get one. And in the first one hour I'm only able to apply tilak to 20 people," he said.
The video does not make it clear whether Thakur expected payment for applying the tilak. He was not seen asking people for money, and his tilak plate did not contain any banknotes after the first few interactions.