Woman Alleges No Public Washroom Near Khatu Shyam Temple, Mother Forced To Pay Rs 805 At Hotel News24 –

A female journalist shared her experience on LinkedIn after she was charged Rs 805 for using the toilet in an emergency in a restaurant in Rajasthan. “How can someone see a woman in pain and still put a price on basic humanity?” she said in a post.

In her lengthy post, Upadhyay outlined the story that happened when she visited the well-known Khatu Shyam temple with her family. They left their hotel at 6.00 AM for the darshan and arrived in line at 7.00 AM. “We stood for two long hours – can’t complain. However, we decided to do the normal darshan procedure because my mother always says there is no VIP in front of God; ‘Sab ek hain’ (There’s no VIP in front of God, we are all the same).”

Things took a troubling twist when Upadhyay’s mother started to feel very ill while they were waiting, “Nausea, stomach pain, and a strong urge to vomit,” she wrote, detailing her mother’s condition. The family needed to find a bathroom, and searched the temple area, but found no public restrooms “A few public bathing areas, but no proper restrooms. She was in visible pain, barely able to stand,” the post said.

Faced with limited options and her mother in pain, the family dashed to a nearby hotel. They begged the hotel staff for the use of their bathroom. “’We don’t need a room, just the restroom, just for 5-10 minutes. Please, it’s an emergency’,” Upadhyay wrote. But the response was shocking. “The man at the reception looked at us and said we’d have to pay Rs 800 to use the restroom. No empathy. No hesitation.”

Even after negotiating and explaining that their hotel was 7 km away, and that this was an emergency, the individual refused to see the emergency or negotiate anything. Ultimately, they had no choice but to pay the fee. “Rs 805 for a washroom. Humanity? I paid Rs 805… just to use a restroom. Yes, you read that right…” Upadhyay wrote, along with a photo of the hotel’s receipt.

To make matters worse, when her father demanded a bill, the staff shouted back at him. He continued to stand his ground, and ultimately paid Rs 805, for what turned out to be a last-minute visit to the washroom.

“What have we become?” Upadhyay wrote in her post. “How can someone see a woman in pain and still put a price on basic humanity? This happened not in a random place, but at the doorstep of a spiritual centre. A place where we go to find peace, kindness, and faith,” the post said.

Several LinkedIn users expressed sympathy and shared similar experiences. While some speculated the charge might have included a hygiene fee due to her mother’s condition, most were appalled by the lack of compassion shown by the hotel staff.

“This is against the Law. Please lodge a complaint in the Consumer Forum and ask for a Compensation. As per the law of the land, any Hotel or Lodge cannot deny drinking water or the use of its washroom to anyone under the Sarai Act of 1867,” a user wrote. “Ahh, lovely capitalism is at its peak. The worrying instance is they don’t start charging for the air we breathe,” another user commented.