Mona Lisa, viral Maha Kumbh garland seller, faces harassment, sent back to MP

She started getting hounded by strangers who approached her for selfies even when she was visibly uncomfortable.

Mona Lisa, a simpleton from Madhya Pradesh, who rose to fame for her dusky skin tone, amber eyes and mesmerising smile, is currently paying the price for being famous.

Hailing from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, the woman accompanied her family, who runs a business, to the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. They sell handmade beads and rudrakshas, however, she became famous for her enchanting looks on social media.

A viral Instagram reel from the account @shivam_bikaneri_official, which amassed over 15 million views, catapulted her to fame but also brought a surge of troubles as the internet’s curiosity intensified.

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People began flocking around her to take selfies. Reporters from local and national news channels started interviewing her. It was all going well when things took an ugly turn with harassment by strangers.

She was constantly hounded by strangers who approached her for selfies even when she was visibly uncomfortable. In one instance, some people entered her tent at Kumbh stating that they had sought permission from her father. Suspicious, she called her father, angered by the indecency, he threatened the men to stay away from his daughter. When her 16-year-old brother demanded they delete his sister’s photos, he was attacked by nine men.

Expressing her fears and apprehensions, Mona Lisa recounted in a video, “Some men approached me saying that my father had sent them to take pictures with me..I wouldn’t click pictures.”

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She further said she is scared of being attacked when alone. “Many times there is no electricity. Anyone can come inside the tent and harm me,” she said.

Another downfall was a drop in her sales. According to her, most approach her only to take a selfie and are not interested in buying her handmade beads, garlands and rudrakshas, leading to a downfall in business.

“She is getting very upset in Prayagraj. She is not able to work. Everyone keeps following her. They come with cameras and keep talking. She is not able to sell her products,” ABP quoted her grandfather.

In a recent video, she is seen shielded by the women members of her family from an unruly crowd who are hell-bent on taking a photo with her. Dressed in a red salwar, Mona Lisa’s face is covered with a large cloth even as her family members try their best to protect her from the unwanted male gaze. She is seen struggling to keep an approaching crowd of men trying to get close to her, at bay.

Upset with the growing unwanted attention, Mona Lisa’s father decided to send her back home.

Maha Kumbh

The Maha Kumbh is a grand 45-day event from January 13 to February 26 which is expected to be attended by over 40 crore pilgrims and international devotees.

This particular Maha Kumbh also coincides with a rare celestial occurrence where the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn align, something that is being witnessed after 144 years. The event is held once in 12 years and was last held in 2012.

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