A Bengaluru man attempted to create a GPS drawing of a Diya for Diwali, but his artwork was mistakenly interpreted as a toilet on social media. Thilak Reddy ran 5 km in a closed loop between Indiranagar and Kodihalli, only to face ridicule on the platform X.
Reddy, originally from Hyderabad, works as a senior development engineer at Setu API and is an enthusiastic endurance runner. Although he often runs 5k around Bengaluru, he had never tried making GPS art before. On Diwali, he decided to run in a manner that the digital route would resemble the shape of a Diya, an earthen lamp. After completing the 34-minute run, he shared a picture online and asked followers to “rate it.”
Happy Deepawali 🪔 people, tried making a diya over a run, please rate it 🙂 pic.twitter.com/CDAlyW1sz4
— thilak (@thilak_ch) October 31, 2024
Many users who commented on Reddy’s post admitted to initially mistaking his Diya design for a toilet. Even after realizing it was intended to resemble a lamp, some continued to insist that it looked like anything but. One comment stated, “It’s actually a commode though. A disproportionate one, but still a commode.” Another user remarked, “There are many ch***** in Bangalore. Made a sandaas (toilet) in place of diya.” This last remark was criticized for being excessively harsh, while others praised Reddy for his creative effort.
Some users pointed out that Reddy’s drawing resembled the logo of Docker software, to which he replied, “It does look like docker, might make one sometime with all the containers on top.” He later explained that the route lacked enough curvy streets to accurately depict the Diya’s flame.
Bengaluru is known as one of Asia’s least walkable cities, with pedestrians frequently complaining about broken footpaths and obstructions from parked cars and street vendors. Nevertheless, this does not deter runners like Reddy, who previously completed a 10k run in Hyderabad.
