After the cash machine was taken out and the ATM was shut down, a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in Patna, Bihar, was transformed into a hair salon.
People now come to the ATM—located in Patna's Danapur—for haircuts and shaves rather than cash withdrawals, and the unconventional setup has become the buzz of the town.
A video of the barber working inside the cabin and cutting hair while the SBI ATM signboard is still outside the kiosk is doing the rounds on social media.
When several customers visit the kiosk with the intention of withdrawing cash, they discover barber chairs, mirrors, scissors, and shaving supplies. The location is now referred to by locals as the "Hair Cutting ATM".
ALSO READ: SBI Hiring: India's Largest Lender To Add 4,000 Employees To New Team; Check Details
Outsiders often confuse the location for an ATM, according to locals. Some even enter with their bank cards in hand, just to start laughing when they see what's inside.
Many young people even come only to take photos and create movies, according to a local shopkeeper.
On social media, images and videos of the converted ATM have gone viral. Some people have criticised the facility's neglect to remove the ATM signs after it was closed.
"What's surprising about this... the bank must have removed the ATM facility from there, so the landlord must have made the salon owner pay the rent," one X user commented. The appropriate bank owns the ATM board; it is their duty to remove it.
Another user said: "ATM = Aesthetic Trimming Machine".
Locals claim that the ATM was operational earlier and that people frequently took out cash from it. Nevertheless, the area was rented out and converted into a salon when the machine was taken out. The structure and branding of the ATM remained unaltered.
Authorities have now taken down the SBI logo and branding from the defunct site after videos of a hair salon operating inside a closed SBI ATM in Danapur, Patna, went viral.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.