Who is Archana Makwana? Fashion designer in eye of storm over yoga at Golden Temple

TOI City Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jun 24, 2024, 08:33 IST

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Punjab police registered a case against Archana Makwana for hurting religious sentiments at the Golden Temple. Makwana, an Instagram influencer, faced backlash for performing yoga poses on the premises. She received death threats and police protection after sharing the images online.

Who is Archana Makwana? Fashion designer in eye of storm over yoga at Golden Temple

Credit: X

NEW DELHI: The Punjab police registered a case against Archana Makwana for allegedly hurting religious sentiments following a complaint from the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday.
The incident occurred when Makwana performed meditation and a headstand ("Shirsasana") on the premises of the Golden Temple on June 21, coinciding with International Yoga Day and subsequently shared the images on social media.

Who is Archana Makwana?

Makwana, an Instagram influencer and entrepreneur, operates a fashion design brand named House Of Archana in Vadodara.
She is also linked with the brand 'Healing Tattvas' and documents her travel experiences as a blogger.
With nearly 140k followers on Instagram, she describes herself as a fashion designer, entrepreneur, influencer and travel & fashion blogger.
Archana's dedication to promoting yoga and wellness was acknowledged when she received an award on International Yoga Day for her significant contributions to the field, according to reports.

Death threats
She was placed under police protection on Sunday after receiving death threats online for performing yoga poses at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab.
The Gujarat police provided her with security and advised her to remain at home for the next few days due to the threats against her life.
'I never imagined it would offend anyone'
The photos quickly went viral prompting the SGPC to criticize the incident, saying that it hurt their religious sentiments.
In response, Makwana removed the pictures and posted a video apology on Saturday.
"The world was celebrating International Yoga Day, so I thought performing a Shirsasana at such a holy site would convey a message of unity and fitness. I never imagined it would offend anyone," Makwana told TOI.

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