Updated: Jan 10, 2026 15:18 IST

The viral footage shows the tourist drinking liquid directly from a shrine altar before pouring the remaining drink into a butter lamp, an action Tibetans say represents a grave violation of religious sanctity and cultural values. Tibetans online condemned the act as far more than mere disrespect, calling it a "shameless provocation" and a "direct insult," while stressing that monasteries are holy spaces and not places for tourists seeking publicity or social media attention, Phayul reported.