Picture of empty liquor bottles in Rishikesh divides opinion: ‘Ignorance to blame tours’ | Trending

A picture of dozens of empty liquor bottles in the pilgrimage town of Rishikesh has divided opinion on the pros and cons of tourism. Situated on the banks of River Ganga, Rishikesh in Uttarakhand is a place of spiritual significance for Hindu devotees. The town is home to several ancient temples and attracts sages and devotees from across the world to its many ashrams. A photograph of liquor bottles on the banks of River Ganga has sparked a debate online(Instagram/@thehimadrifoundation) The sight of so many liquor bottles in a holy town sparked outrage among a section of the internet. The people who took offense at the picture held the view that tourism is contributing to Rishikesh’s degradation as a centre for spirituality. Not everyone, however, agreed – and the photograph has divided opinion online. The picture in questionEarlier this month, The Himadri Foundation shared a photograph on Instagram that shows dozens of empty alcohol bottles on the banks of River Ganga. Several trash bags lay next to the bottles, while a temple is visible on the opposite side of the river. The foundation captioned the picture as “Rishikesh – The Growing Graveyard of Spirituality.” It raised concerns about Rishikesh losing its soul to tourism and its inherent pitfalls, like tours smoking and drinking. “Rishikesh, once a beacon of spirituality and purity, is slowly losing its soul. The serene ghats that once echoed with chants and meditative silence are now littered with beer and whisky cans,” the foundation wrote. “Smoking cigarettes the sacred river has become a common sight. Is this what Maa Ganga stands for? Is this what Rishikesh was meant to become?” the caption questioned. Pic divides opinionThis take resonated with thousands of people who rushed to blame tourism for the ‘decline’ of Rishikesh. Many such people asked tours to stay away from Rishikesh. The picture also reached the social media platform X from Instagram, where again it polarised opinions. However, a number of people felt that blaming tourism for empty bottles was rushing to conclusions. They also pointed to the many benefits that tours bring to Uttarakhand’s economy. “If all tours were to stop visiting Uttarakhand and Himachal for the summer that’ll be economic disaster for many, many locals whose livelihoods are hugely dependant on tourism,” wrote X user Saurabh Sachar. “This is real ignorance to blame tours for internal failures. Liquor is an integral part of the lives of locals too. Everyone knows it’s easy to fetch votes with just a bottle of liquor in UKD. Drinking is not a crime in India,” X user Manu added. Some offered solutions – like stricter laws about littering. “The state cannot do without tours. The only option is to keep the areas squeaky clean and enforce littering bans on the ground. Uttarakhand needs tour police – both for helping and keeping a check on tours,” Abhishek opined.