Viral video: Probe ordered into pre-wedding photoshoot at Hampi heritage site

Ballari: After a video filmed in Hampi in the first week of October 2020, went viral on social media, the Archeological Survey of India’s Hampi circle ordered an internal inquiry into the pre-wedding photoshoot involving a couple from Andhra Pradesh last week.

The couple from Andhra Pradesh reportedly booked a company based in Hyderabad for their pre-wedding photoshoot and chose iconic world heritage centre Hampi for the shoot. Controversy erupted after a video that went viral showed the couple moving inside the monuments where entry to visitors was restricted.

After the video went viral the Hampi Samskrutika Mattu Smaraka Sene (Hampi Cultural and Monument Brigade) President, Vishwanath Malagi lodged a formal complaint with Hampi tourist police station, alleging that the Andhra Pradesh couple had violated every norm while going on their pre-wedding photoshoot.

According to Malagi, a photoshoot can not take place unless one has permission from multiple authorities – the Deputy Commissioner, the Superintendent of Police, the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority, and the Archaeological Survey of India.

“Hampi being a world heritage monument one cannot go on for photoshoot like this… climbing on monuments. Many sites in Hampi are banned for visitors as they are fragile but this shoot has broken all the rules,” he said.

Meanwhile, ASI Hampi circle the couple had not taken any permission before shooting the video.