Latest update:26 March 2026, 5:35 PM IST

‘This is not India’: Texans demand fines and tougher laws, as viral videos of traditional rituals spark widespread backlash.

A series of videos showing Chhath Puja celebrations at a lake in Denton, Texas, has sparked a fierce cultural and environmental crisis.

A series of videos showing Chhath Puja celebrations at a lake in Denton, Texas, ignited a fierce cultural and environmental confrontation, and went viral for all the wrong reasons. The footage, which shows worshipers performing prayers and pouring milk into water, divided the local community and sparked a broader debate over religious freedom versus environmental preservation.

What is the controversy surrounding Chhath Puja?

Various video clips were spread on social media, and their authenticity cannot be confirmed. Some appear in old videos as well. However, most of the videos show a large group of the Indian community coming together to perform traditional Vedic rituals. While the ceremony is a deeply spiritual act of gratitude toward the sun god, local Texans have taken to social media to express their concern.

The main point of contention? The practice of pouring milk and dropping ceremonial offerings directly into the lake. “Dumping materials into our lakes is unacceptable,” one post that went viral said. “It harms fish and pollutes the very waters our community depends on. We need to protect Texas’ ecosystems.” Another user wrote: “Totally agree, dumping offerings in Texas lakes is harmful to fish and pollutes our waters. Even biodegradable items like fruit and milk can lead to increased organic waste, lower oxygen levels and stress on aquatic life. Clever call out highlighting this; respecting local ecosystems keeps traditions sustainable for everyone.”

The comments have been pouring in over the past few days on all the videos. “All their ceremonies, rituals and rituals create loud sound, smoke and water pollution. To avoid this, this is why millionaires, billionaires, politicians and celebrities make their homes away from temples,” a user wrote. Many users also made racist remarks online, demanding that Indians be deported from their country and claiming that they always cause pollution. Another user wrote: “Every one of them should be fined for littering and deported.”

Watch the video here:

However, there were those who said that Chhath is an eco-friendly festival and that the performances are all organic, and do not have any long-term effects on the ecosystem.

Regardless, most users felt that littering should not be allowed. “I’m an Indian American, I’ve never done this and I never will. The only way to abolish this behavior is to impose heavy fines for polluting the water. I still don’t want to demonize my entire community because most of us don’t, and I would love to support civil action to stop this,” one user said on X.

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