A routine commute can often reveal unexpected sights, from new eateries and unfamiliar marketplaces to odd messages painted on vehicles and buildings rising from the ground.
One such curious sight caught the attention of a Maharashtrian woman, who uses the handle @unitechy and lives in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
She noticed something unusual whenever she travelled to parts of the state outside Bengaluru. On several under construction buildings, she saw the same image of a saree clad woman with kohl lined eyes opened wide, hanging from the structures.
After encountering the image multiple times, she took a photograph to try to identify the woman. She also attempted a search using Google Lens but could not find any related information.
Eventually, she shared her curiosity on X, formerly known as Twitter. She wrote, "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?"
The post, shared on January 5, 2026, drew widespread attention and has since received 3.2 million views.
Internet digs out
Several users responded with their own explanations. One wrote, "This is a nazarbattu (an equivalent to an evil eye to keep negative energies away) for the construction."
Another user relied on Grok to identify the woman in the poster, while a third commented that such images are commonly hung at construction sites to protect them from negative energies.
A fourth user 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."
Who is the woman seen on posted on Bengaluru?
One X user also shared a screenshot of a query made on an AI platform.
According to the response, the woman in the image was identified as Niharika Rao, a Karnataka-based YouTuber. The bot stated that her surprised expression from a viral 2023 video clip later turned into a popular meme. It further explained that locals began using the image humorously as a 'Dristi Gombe' charm to ward off the evil eye.
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