The Kodungallur Bharani festival has always been one of Kerala's biggest spiritual celebrations. But this year, it was a foreign woman in a red saree who became the unlikely star of the show. A video of a Spanish vlogger experiencing what appeared to be a state of deep devotional fervour, breaking into a ritualistic, high-energy dance, has gone massively viral across social media, and the internet has a lot to say about it.
Who is she and what exactly happened?
The woman at the centre of it all is Nithyasri Paula Segara, a Spanish vlogger with a deep-rooted fascination for Indian culture and spirituality. She regularly attends Hindu rituals and sacred events across India, documenting and sharing them with her followers on social media.
This time, she arrived at Kodungallur dressed in a red saree, fully immersed in the spirit of the festival. According to media reports, while vlogging, she underwent a heightened state of emotional and physical fervour that many interpreted as a "spiritual trance" or "possessed" and others dismissed as performance.
Watch the video below:
Internet divided
The reactions online were swift and sharply divided. "Nice acting... don't do it again," wrote one user. Another quipped, "She came on a saree and under skirt too for this? That too in red saree? What a coincidence."
Another comment stated, "She knows business and chemistry well," observed one commenter, while another added, "She must have figured out how to get attention, and she's wearing a saree, meaning she already knows about the people of India."
But many also defended her. "For the comment section, please be careful with your words. This is not regular; this is Maa Bhadrakali. Please be respectful. Whether it's acting or a spiritual trance, don't judge anything just by watching it," one user wrote. Similary, one commented, "She is not acting. Only few people can understand this 🙏 she is just sensitive to feel that energy."
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