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Who doesn’t want to spend a quite evening at a fine dining with their loved ones? Be it the soothing atmosphere or the hospitality, everything is class just perfect. Agree? So much so that we often end up visiting the same place again. Relatable? Well, things didn’t go as expected for YourStory founder Shradha Sharma, who decided to visit a fine dining restaurant in Delhi. She and her sister went to The Taj Mahal Hotel, of the most famous restaurants in Delhi-NCR. But their experience was not as expected. FYI: YourStory is a Bengaluru-based media startup. In a video shared on X, Shradha has opened up about her personal experience at the luxury 5-star hotel. She said that the hotel manager told her that a guest has problem with the way she was sitting. Shradha Sharma Said She Is ‘Upset And Disheartened’ Shradha, who was sitting in crossed-legged position on the chair, added that she left humiliated at the restaurant. The clip opens to Shradha sitting at a table. She can he heard saying, “I am extremely angry right now because I’m currently at the Taj Hotel, at the House of Ming New Delhi. My sister has come today, and we got her here. We work very hard to earn money, and thought we’d do something special for Diwali, so we came here for dinner.” She added, “restaurant manager came to me and said one of the guests had a problem with me – apparently because of the way I was sitting. See, I was sitting like this (crossed-legged position on the chair).” Shradha said “I get it it’s fine-dining restaurant, so of course, very rich people come here – and they expect you to sit in a certain way and wear closed shoes’. “I don’t even understand what that means! I wear Kolhapuri slippers – the ones I bought with my own hard-earned money – and came here dressed decently. But being told to ‘put your feet down’ or that my sitting posture was objectionable is just wrong. If someone has a problem, that shows that we are still trapped in these divisions of riches, culture, and class. Why? I work hard, that’s why I’m here. I’m paying for this meal myself – so what’s the issue?” she asked. Shradha Sharma Spoke About Ratan Tata She continued, “I’m wearing a comfortable salwar-kurta, sitting properly, behaving decently. So why make it such a big objection? And from the Taj – a place I’ve always respected – this was truly disappointing.” Shradha Sharma added that Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata himself had “invested in my company, and yet today I feel so disheartened that the Taj would question me like this.” एक आम इंसान, जो मेहनत करके, अपना पैसा कमा कर, अपनी इज़्ज़त के साथ ताज होटल में आता है — उसे आज भी इस देश में ज़लील और अपमानित होना पड़ता है।और मेरी गलती क्या है? सिर्फ़ ये कि मैं बैठ गई एक “regular padmasana style” में?क्या ये मेरी गलती है कि ताज मुझे सिखा रहा है कि कैसे बैठना… pic.twitter.com/vKBYjg8ltb — Shradha Sharma (@SharmaShradha) October 21, 2025 The video soon went viral with people sharing their thoughts on Shradha’s sitting position. Who Is Right Here: Taj Hotels Or Bengaluru CEO? Grok Answers A user said, “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.” Another added, “Madam, the same seat that you have put your feet on will be used by another guest. This is not your home or drawing room. Have some civic sense. It’s also an issue of hygiene. You want other people to sit on the couch laced with dirt & bacteria from your feet?” Calling it a serious failure at hotel’s end, a person said, “No one should ever face something like this. The Taj Mahal Hotel , this isn’t just a mistake, it’s a serious failure. Hope you take accountability and ensure it never happens to anyone else.” “This is absolutely ridiculous,” echoed a few. “Hear those things about The Taj Hotels – my question remains, who defines what is elegant or non elegant, are we still married to British standards, suffering from colonial hangover and question our identity? I still understand what is wrong sitting in padmasana way?” reada comment. A user also asked Grok to tell him what the correct way to sitting at a fine dining. “Taj, as a private business, has the right to enforce decorum and etiquette in their fine dining spaces, including posture and seating norms, to maintain a consistent experience for all guests. Customers aren’t entitled to disregard house rules just because they’ve paid; violating them can lead to polite requests to adjust or denial of service. Indian law supports this under contract principles—restaurants can set reasonable terms, barring discrimination, per the Consumer Protection Act; no court would side against basic operational standards here.” Taj, as a private business, has the right to enforce decorum and etiquette in their fine dining spaces, including posture and seating norms, to maintain a consistent experience for all guests. Customers aren't entitled to disregard house rules just because they've paid; violating… — Grok (@grok) October 22, 2025 What do you have to say about it.
