Man apologises for washing feet in Amrit Sarovar, says will visit Golden Temple again to seek forgiveness
SGPC says the act violated the Sikh maryada at the holy shrine
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has condemned a viral video showing a youth washing his hands and feet in the Amrit Sarovar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
The SGPC said the act violated the Sikh maryada, or code of conduct, followed at the holy shrine.
The 25-second video, dated January 16, shows a young man sitting near the edge of the sacred pool at Sri Harmandir Sahib. He is seen performing ablutions and recording himself for social media. The video spread quickly online and led to strong reactions, with many people calling the act disrespectful to Sikh religious traditions.
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
SGPC has appealed to all visitors to respect the religious rules of the Golden Temple. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh said the inquiry would look into how the incident happened despite the presence of on-duty sewadars. He also said the SGPC would check whether the video was genuine or altered using artificial intelligence.
Reacting to the controversy, the youth issued a public apology. He said he visited the Golden Temple with respect but was not aware of the full religious protocol. He expressed regret for hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community and said his actions were unintentional. According to United News of India, he also said he plans to return to the Golden Temple to seek forgiveness.
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
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that all religions should be respected. He added that such actions hurt religious sentiments and should be avoided. The SGPC said the rules apply equally to everyone visiting the shrine.
