Fact Check: Video Of Durga Puja Pandal Built On Theme Of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple Being Shared With Misleading Claim

New Delhi (Vishvas News): The consecration ceremony for “Ram Lalla” at the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya is scheduled to take place on January 22 next year. In connection with this event, a video circulating on social media purports to depict the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya. The video shows a temple-like structure illuminated with electric lights.

However, Vishvas News, upon investigation, has determined that this claim is false. The viral video does not depict the Ram temple in Ayodhya but rather the Durga Puja pandal constructed in the likeness of the Ram temple in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. The video is being shared with the false claims that the electrical work at the Ayodhya Ram temple has been completed.

What’s Going Viral?

Social Media user ‘Sanatani Seema’ posted a viral video on December 11 with the caption, “Electrical work in Ram temple, complete supernatural glow… Jai Shri Ram… Ram will come, Ram will come, Ram will come.“

The archive link can be found here.

Many other users on different social media platforms have also shared this video with similar claims.

Investigation:

Through reverse image searching of the key frames from the viral video, we discovered several news reports featuring the relevant images. A report published on October 24, 2023, on the website of Outlook India confirmed that the pictures were of the Durga Puja pandal constructed in Santosh Mitra Square in North Kolkata. This pandal, built in the likeness of the Ram temple, was highlighted in the report.

These photographs have been utilised in a similar context in various other reports. Approximately, a month ago, a video bulletin was uploaded on a YouTube channel named OTV News English, mentioning the attraction of the pandal themed around the Ram Temple. In our social media search, a post shared on October 17 from the profile of a Facebook user named Tapan Misri provided details about the pandal, including a clip featuring its lighting.

The accompanying information stated, “This is the video of Ram Mandir Pandal built at Santosh Mitra Chowk.” Our investigation unequivocally establishes that the viral video does not depict the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya but instead showcases the pandal constructed in Kolkata during Durga Puja, inspired by the theme of the Ram temple.

To verify the authenticity of the viral video, we reached out to Rama Sharan Awasthi, the editor-in-charge of the Ayodhya unit of Dainik Jagran. He affirmed, “This video clip is not related to the Ayodhya Ram temple.”

The official handle of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra is accessible on X, and it regularly shares pictures of the ongoing temple construction. On December 15, images of the construction progress on the first floor of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple were posted from this handle.

The user who shared the viral video with misleading claims is followed by approximately 25,000 people on Facebook, and the page is affiliated with a specific ideology. It consistently shares content inspired by this ideology.