Why Did the Eiffel Tower Shut Down? BAPS Hindu Delegation Visit and Female Staff Row Explained

The Eiffel Tower shut to visitors on Monday, 7 September, after staff went on strike over the treatment of female employees during a private visit by a BAPS Hindu delegation two days earlier.

According to reports, around 100 members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha visited the Paris landmark on Saturday, when women working at the tower were reportedly asked to leave posts or remain out of sight.

However, it was also reported that the tower's operator has acknowledged agreeing to conditions limiting interactions with women, apologised to employees and admitted the arrangement 'should not have been accepted.'

Why Did the Eiffel Tower Close on 7 September?

The closure followed a staff meeting on Monday, after employees protested against arrangements made for the BAPS delegation's private tour on 5 September.

Union representatives said female workers were removed from positions along the delegation's route and replaced by male colleagues. Staff described women as having been 'sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex,' with several reportedly saying they felt humiliated by the instructions.

Employees subsequently went on strike, forcing one of France's most visited landmarks to remain closed for the day.

Paris Mayor Condemns Incident

Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), which operates the landmark, acknowledged that the delegation had requested arrangements designed to limit 'interactions with women.'

Management accepted responsibility for agreeing to those conditions. 'These conditions should not have been accepted,' SETE said before apologising to affected employees.

SETE president Ariel Weil said the company would investigate how the decision was made and draw the necessary conclusions.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire also condemned the incident, describing the situation as unacceptable and contrary to the principles of equality the Eiffel Tower should represent. Paris authorities have opened an investigation.

Why BAPS Delegation Limited Interactions With Women

BAPS is an international Hindu organisation belonging to the Swaminarayan tradition. Its sadhus, or monks, observe strict vows of celibacy known as brahmacharya.

Their religious discipline traditionally includes restrictions on touching, speaking to or closely associating with women. These rules apply specifically to monks and are not general requirements for all BAPS followers.

The controversy therefore centres on the decision to accommodate those religious practices by changing female employees' working arrangements at a public French landmark.

BAPS did not directly address the female staff but said it took concerns about the incident seriously and apologised for 'any pain or inconvenience caused.' Some reports said the organisation disputed directly requesting that women be excluded, while SETE maintained that a request to limit interactions with women had been made.

BAPS Visit Coincided With New Hindu Temple in France

The delegation was in France during celebrations surrounding the opening of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Bussy-Saint-Georges, near Paris.

The temple, described as France's first major traditional Hindu mandir, was consecrated on Sunday, 6 September, under the leadership of BAPS spiritual head Mahant Swami Maharaj.

The Eiffel Tower visit occurred one day earlier as part of the surrounding festivities.

Hence, the Eiffel Tower's closure was ultimately caused by the resulting staff strike rather than the delegation's presence itself. The landmark was expected to reopen normally after the one-day protest, while authorities continued investigating how the gender-based arrangements were approved.