Who is the big-eyed woman on Bengaluru’s posters? How a viral YouTube clip became a ‘nazar battu’ charm across construction sites

The buzz in Bengaluru right now has been about posters of a wide-eyed woman's face being stuck all over new construction sites as well as market areas. The posters of a woman's face clad in a saree with black-lined, wide-open, wondering eyes have gone viral on the internet. While people in the city are baffled by the sudden proliferation of these posters in large numbers, internet users are having a field day trying to decipher the meaning behind these posters. A quick check through Google Lens to detect whose face was used in these posters was unsuccessful initially, adding to the intrigue over these posters. Internet sleuths were able to identify the mystery woman behind these posters through a viral video. The woman has been identified as a YouTuber named Niharika Rao from the state of Karnataka.The enigmatic event began when @unitechy, a Bengaluru resident, noticed the peculiar posters as he travelled within the state of Karnataka. The pictures were invariably placed on buildings under construction. The oversized eyes and shocked expression of the female character in the posters were impossible to overlook. The public was curious about the posters as they clicked pictures and posted them online. Despite numerous encounters with the posters, neither general image search nor Google Lens could recognise her, deepening the mystery and fuelling widespread speculation across social media platforms.A quirky online video has developed cultural significance, symbolising something beyond itself. The viral posters demonstrate where online content meets conventional practices, making them a blend of humor, superstitions, and online commentary. These “big-eyed” posters have sparked discussions on social media platforms regarding meme subculture and public art. Although there were people who used these posters as comedic ways to prevent thieves or bad luck from affecting them, it shows how trends on social media platforms affect offline spaces.Niharika Rao was identified by the AI-powered image recognition and social media sleuths as the woman in the viral posters as per the claims. The viral posters came from the viral video clip in 2023, where the surprised look in Niharika Rao’s eyes had caught the attention of many online socialites.The locals were able to adopt this image to make it a ‘Dristi Gombe’ charm. The purpose of this charm is to ward off bad luck or negative energy. The idea of this energetic and fun face, along with protection from evil, made this image go viral both offline and online.The Bengaluru resident posted pictures of the posters on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) on 5 January 2026, causing a social media stir. The image went viral in no time, garnering more than 3.2 million views. Netizens gave various reactions to the picture:Some people said it might be a “nazarbattu,” a charm meant to ward off the evil eye.Many also speculated that it could be some sort of meme challenge that mixed comedy with local cultural aspects.The AI platforms like Grok were used by netizens for analysis and identification of the woman in the picture.