Viral Curiosity: Who Is the Wide-Eyed Woman on Construction Posters Across Karnataka?
A wide-eyed woman in a saree, staring intensely from posters pasted on buildings, has been quietly puzzling people across Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka. What began as a curious visual on construction sites soon turned into an internet mystery and now, it finally has an answer.
The buzz started when a Maharashtra-based woman living in Bengaluru took to X after spotting the same poster repeatedly at construction sites across the state. Unlike the usual lemons, chillies, or quirky charms used to ward off the evil eye, this image felt unusual. After failing to find any explanation through Google Lens, she posted online saying, "I see this woman everywhere in Karnataka outside Bangalore where there’s a construction happening. I tried google lens to check for discussions but can’t find any details. Who is she?"
Her post, shared on January 5, struck a chord. It racked up over 3.5 million views as netizens chimed in with theories and cultural insights. Many explained that the image functions as a nazar battu , a protective symbol meant to keep negative energies away from buildings under construction. Some noted that it’s a modern twist on traditional nazar kavach, while others found the trend amusingly strange, even meme-like.
The real breakthrough came when another X user used an AI platform to trace the image. According to the analysis, the woman in the poster is Niharika Rao, a Karnataka-based YouTuber. Her wide-eyed expression comes from a viral video clip from 2023 that later evolved into a popular meme.
Over time, locals seem to have adopted this meme as a contemporary version of Drishti Gombe, humorous, exaggerated figures traditionally used to ward off the evil eye. What looks odd at first glance, it turns out, is just folklore keeping pace with internet culture.
The buzz started when a Maharashtra-based woman living in Bengaluru took to X after spotting the same poster repeatedly at construction sites across the state. Unlike the usual lemons, chillies, or quirky charms used to ward off the evil eye, this image felt unusual. After failing to find any explanation through Google Lens, she posted online saying, "I see this woman everywhere in Karnataka outside Bangalore where there’s a construction happening. I tried google lens to check for discussions but can’t find any details. Who is she?"
Her post, shared on January 5, struck a chord. It racked up over 3.5 million views as netizens chimed in with theories and cultural insights. Many explained that the image functions as a nazar battu , a protective symbol meant to keep negative energies away from buildings under construction. Some noted that it’s a modern twist on traditional nazar kavach, while others found the trend amusingly strange, even meme-like.
The real breakthrough came when another X user used an AI platform to trace the image. According to the analysis, the woman in the poster is Niharika Rao, a Karnataka-based YouTuber. Her wide-eyed expression comes from a viral video clip from 2023 that later evolved into a popular meme.
Over time, locals seem to have adopted this meme as a contemporary version of Drishti Gombe, humorous, exaggerated figures traditionally used to ward off the evil eye. What looks odd at first glance, it turns out, is just folklore keeping pace with internet culture.
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