If quirky slogans on autos and witty one-liners on trucks grab attention, Karnataka has now found something far more intriguing. A photo of an unknown woman—draped in a saree, eyes heavily kohled and glaring intensely—has appeared across several under-construction buildings in the state. The poster, dangling from half-built structures, has become the latest internet mystery.

A Bengaluru woman first noticed the repeated sightings while travelling through Karnataka. Curious after spotting the same poster again and again, she clicked a picture and tried identifying the woman using Google Lens—but found nothing. Finally, she took the puzzle to social media.

Posting on X on January 5, she wrote, “I see this woman everywhere in Karnataka outside bangalore where there’s a construction happening. I tried google lens to check for discussions but can’t find any details. Who is she?”

Since then, the post has exploded online, crossing 3 million views and triggering a flood of theories, jokes, and cultural explanations.

Many users believe the image is being used as a modern version of the traditional ‘nazar battu’—an object hung outside homes or buildings to ward off the evil eye.

One user explained, “This is a nazarbattu used to keep negative energies away from construction.”

Another joked, “NGL, this is what you call a MEME-ingful life.”

Some shared that such posters have replaced the classic Drishti Gombe—the devil-faced mask with a red tongue traditionally displayed outside new houses. According to them, the angry-looking woman’s intense glare is considered “far more effective” in driving away jealousy and bad luck.

Adding another twist, one user claimed the woman is content creator Niharika Rao, whose angry expression has turned into a viral talisman across shops, farms, and homes.

What began as a single curious sighting has now turned into a statewide social media phenomenon, with more users posting pictures of the same poster from different markets and construction sites.