Amritsar: Amritsar witnessed a wave of anger and concern after a video surfaced online showing a young man washing his hands and feet inside the Amrit Sarovar at the Golden Temple, an act widely viewed as a breach of Sikh religious discipline. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which termed the behaviour a violation of established Sikh maryada.
The brief clip, lasting around 25 seconds and dated January 16, shows the man seated near the edge of the sacred water body at Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. He is seen performing ablutions while filming himself, allegedly for social media content. As the video spread across platforms, it triggered strong reactions from devotees and community members, many of whom described the act as insensitive and disrespectful to long-held religious practices.
A video of a Muslim man wearing a cap (Taqiyah) rinsing his mouth with Sarovar water at the Sri Darbar Sahib Golden Temple Amritsar and making a reel has gone viral. Many people have objected to his actions. pic.twitter.com/hwkbSTzKhN
— Gagandeep Singh (@Gagan4344) January 16, 2026
In a statement, the SGPC condemned the incident and urged visitors to strictly adhere to the spiritual code followed at the Golden Temple. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh said an internal inquiry has been initiated to determine how the act occurred despite the presence of sewadars assigned to manage conduct at the shrine. He added that authorities would also examine whether the viral video was authentic or possibly manipulated using artificial intelligence.
Subhan Rangreez, whose video went viral on social media, apologized for rinsing in the Sarovar at Darbar Sahib. He said he was not aware of the maryada and added that he will also visit Darbar Sahib to seek an apology. pic.twitter.com/Z0PtiSYL9J
— Gagandeep Singh (@Gagan4344) January 16, 2026
Amid mounting criticism, the youth at the centre of the controversy issued a public apology. He said he had visited the Golden Temple with reverence but lacked full awareness of the religious protocols governing the holy site. Expressing remorse, he stated that he never intended to offend the Sikh community and regretted the pain caused by his actions. According to United News of India, he has also said he plans to return to the Golden Temple to personally seek forgiveness.
Political leaders also weighed in on the matter. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasised that respect for all religions is essential and warned that actions which hurt faith-based sentiments should be avoided. The SGPC reiterated that the rules of conduct at the Golden Temple apply uniformly to all devotees, regardless of background or intent.
