The Mystery of the Wide-Eyed Woman: How A Meme Became Karnataka’s Viral ‘Nazarbattu’ | Read Here

Bengaluru: If you’ve driven past a construction site in Karnataka recently, you might have felt a pair of eyes watching you. Not the eyes of a security guard or a CCTV camera, but the intense, unblinking, and heavily kohl-lined stare of a woman in a saree featured on posters hanging from the balconies.

What began as a bizarre sighting for one commuter has now turned into a viral internet mystery, gathering millions of views and revealing a fascinating blend of modern meme culture and age-old superstition.

Post Sparked the Hunt

The curiosity arose when a Maharashtrian woman living in Bengaluru shared her confusion on social media. She spotted the same image repeatedly on under-construction buildings outside the city, and she tried using Google Lens to identify the woman, but the search engine came up empty.

"I see this woman everywhere in Karnataka... Who is she?" she asked on X. The post quickly went viral, gathering over 3.5 million views as netizens from across the state came in, realising they had seen the "scary lady" too.

'Nazarbattu’?

As the internet snooped, the truth finally came out. The woman in the photo is reportedly Niharika Rao, a YouTuber from Karnataka. The image of a wide-eyed expression is from a viral video she posted on YouTube.

It evolved from a funny meme into a tool for locals. People began using her face as a ‘Drishti Gombe’ or ‘Nazarbattu’, a charm used to ward off the "evil eye."

Why This Image?

Traditionally, construction sites in India display a fierce-looking demonic mask (often a Keerthimukha) or a simple blackened pot to distract onlookers. However, the residents and contractors seem to have found a modern alternative. 

Internet Reacts

As one X user pointed out, "The image is so striking that it instantly diverts your attention. You forget to look at the beautiful building or the new shop because you’re too busy wondering why this woman is staring at you." 

A user wrote, "This is a nazarbattu (an equivalent to an evil eye to keep negative energies away) for the construction."

Another user added that it was hung on construction sites to protect them from negative energies.

A third wrote, "Nazar kavach, but really strange that people are using this. It's mostly a devil-shaped face with a red tongue. Maybe a meme trend."

An X user shared a screenshot of a query on an AI platform. The bot identified the woman as Niharika Rao, a YouTuber in Karnataka. It added that her surprised expression from a 2023 viral video clip evolved into a meme on social media. 

The evaluation further revealed that locals have been using the humorous image and calling it a 'Dristi Gombe' charm to ward off evil eye.

Another user jokingly commented, "It's a demonic sigil that comes after thieves if they steal anything."

The internet continues to remain surprised as more and more users share her poster hanging across Bengaluru markets.

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