Fine dining and casual dining are poles apart. From the ambience and dress code to dining etiquette and menu, the differences are clear. Now, a video shared by YourStory CEO Shradha Sharma has gone viral, where she revealed how the staff at Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi allegedly criticised her for sitting in “padmasana style” or cross-legged. Here’s the full story.
YourStory CEO Shradha Sharma Calls Out Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel Staff
YourStory founder and CEO Shradha Sharma recently took to her X account to slam the authorities at Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi, which is a five-star hotel. In the viral video, Shradha shared that she was quite angry as she was dining with her sister for a Diwali dinner at House of Ming, a Chinese fine dining restaurant in the hotel. She shared that while they were enjoying their meal, the restaurant manager approached her and informed her that a guest had complained about her sitting cross-legged (padmasana style) on the chair with her slippers on the floor.
According to Shradha, the manager also told her that it’s a fine dining restaurant, and she should follow certain rules. She added that he even reprimanded her dress code. Shradha said she was unsure what was wrong with her clothes since she was simply wearing a salwar kameez and kolhapuri slippers.
Her video was captioned, “An ordinary person, who through hard work, earns their own money, and comes to the Taj Hotel with their dignity intact — even today, in this country, they have to face humiliation and insult. And what is my fault? Just this, that I sat down in a “regular padmasana style”? Is it my fault that the Taj is teaching me how to sit, what to do?”
Netizens Divided Over Shradha’s Experience
Shradha Sharma also mentioned that she pays for her meals and has worked hard to afford dining at Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel. She expressed disappointment, saying, “I am so disappointed with Taj for questioning me on this.”
The video has since garnered over 200k views and sparked a wave of mixed reactions online. One user wrote, “The hotel is 100% right here. Fine dining has its own rules and dress codes. If you want to eat in your own comfort and style, go somewhere that matches it,” while another commented, “Dear Shraddha. Be it a restaurant, an office, a place of worship, a retail store, a hospital…. I believe SOME DECORUM has to be followed.”
Some users also criticised the hotel staff for their behaviour. One X user wrote, “No one should ever face something like this,@TajMahalHotel, this isn’t just a mistake, it’s a serious failure. Hope you take accountability and ensure it never happens to anyone else.” Another added, “This is absolutely ridiculous @TajHotels. Come out of your colonial mindset.”
While many users criticised the restaurant staff for being rude, others pointed out that rules and etiquette exist for a reason in such restaurants.
What do you think of this incident? Do you agree with Shradha Sharma or the staff? Do share your thoughts in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: @SharmaShradha/ X