‘Hum garba kar ke hi jaayenge!’ Indian tourists light up Austria with surprise dance performance

Remember how Daya Ben from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah would spontaneously break into Garba, even in the most unlikely situations? While that was charming and funny on television, replicating such antics in real life can sometimes cross the line into discomfort, especially in a foreign country. A video that recently went viral on Instagram shows a group of Indian tourists in Austria doing exactly that. The group broke into a Garba performance in the middle of a street, after pressuring local performers to play their music.

Indian tourists performs Garba in streets of Austria

The incident took place in Innsbruck’s Old Town and was captured and shared by Pearl Shah (@ipearlshah), a member of the 43-person Gujarati-Marwari tourist group featured in the video. According to her caption, the group was eager to do Garba before leaving the spot. However, the street performers initially declined their request, citing potential trouble with local authorities. Despite their hesitation, the tourists continued to insist.

Pearl even wrote, “Hum bina Garba kiye jaane wale nahi the” (We weren’t leaving without doing Garba). Eventually, the street musicians gave in and allowed them to play an Indian song, which led to the entire group energetically performing Garba in the middle of the historic town square. While the group may have been thrilled with their impromptu celebration, the internet didn’t take it kindly. The comments on the original video (now disabled) were flooded with criticism. Many social media users slammed the group for disregarding the comfort of the street performers and potentially putting them at risk with local authorities. Several comments described the behaviour as inappropriate, entitled, and even “embarrassing.”

One Instagram user wrote, “I’m a Gujarati and love Garba, but this isn’t the time or place. We don’t randomly do this on Indian streets, let alone abroad.” Another added, “This is the exact reason Indian tourists face flak internationally. There's a time and place for everything.” Some commenters also expressed concern about the image such actions portray of Indian travelers as a whole. “It’s not just about dancing—it’s about respect, boundaries, and understanding that not every space is yours to take over,” read one comment.