As spring arrives, many Indians observe Chaiti Chhath. This celebration is rooted in devotion for Indians to the Sun God. The festival is most prominent in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, it has now found space among Indian communities abroad. In cities like New Delhi, temporary ponds are often created to accommodate devotees. Thousands of miles away, similar arrangements are now being made by diaspora groups in the United States. But this year, this has led to a storm in USA especially in Texas.

Ritual offerings spark outrage in Texas

A group of Indian-Americans gathered in Denton, Texas, to perform Chhath rituals at a local water body. As part of the ceremony, devotees offered milk into the water, an act symbolic of purity and gratitude in the tradition.

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Independent journalist Dom Lucre posted on X, “Texans have been sending criticism to a group of Indians who were celebrating Chhat Puja in Denton, Texas and pouring milk in the lake, The angry Texans are claiming it pollutes their waters while liberal claim it is racist to not accept this celebration.”

From environmental concerns to cultural hostility

Some critics framed their objections around ecological impact, asking if pouring milk into natural water bodies could harm local ecosystems. But much of the online discourse quickly took a harsher turn.

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One user wrote, “MILK TSUNAMI IN TEXAS: IS AMERICA’S LAST CLEAN WATER DOOMED?” Others went further, targeting not just the act but the community itself.

“No one wants this pagan crap in America. They pollute their own country and come here with the same backwards practices. If they can’t assimilate then they shouldn’t be here,” added a user. Another said, “Deport and blacklist just one person for this specific violation of the environment.

Immediately everyone will stop, all of them dread returning to their traditional land, they don’t really care about their tradition, they flaunt tradition just to look cool,” added another.