Fact Check: Video showing clouds with folded hands in Uttarakhand skies is edited
A viral post on social media claiming that a cloud formation, looking uncannily like a pair of praying hands, seen in the skies of ‘devbhoomi’ Uttarakhand are CGI created and fake.
- By Vishvas News
- Updated: January 30, 2023
New Delhi (Vishvas News): If you have ever imagined clouds taking different shapes in the sky, this report will feel close to the heart. A viral post on social media claimed that a cloud formation, looking uncannily like a pair of praying hands, was seen in the skies of ‘devbhoomi’ Uttarakhand. But, in the Vishvas News investigation, the claim proved to be fake and created through CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).
Claim:
Facebook user Shanmuna Balan shared a viral video (archive link) and claimed, “While Joshimath in Uttarakhand is in peril, a strange cloud appears in the sky revealing a pranam. As if people appeal to the supreme lord of the devbhoomi to save them from devastation.”
Investigation:
Vishvas News first conducted a Google lens search and found many similar claims on Facebook and Twitter. We also found another Facebook video dated December 15, 2022, whose inside text reads – Strange cloud the sky of America.
The video was initially posted on Tik Tok by a user named ‘@myuz_gaza1’. As Tik Tok is banned in India and his profile link didn’t open, we explored his Snapchat, Youtube and Facebook profiles for more information. There we found many identical videos of angels and more in the form of clouds in the sky.
We also found another Facebook Page, Gaza Crew, which provided us with his WhatsApp number and email ID. On being contacted, he said, “No, it’s from the reality of imagination. I designed it on my Tik Tok channel
Myuzgaza1.”
It’s not uncommon for the human eye to pick out familiar-seeming shapes among clouds; this phenomenon is called ‘pareidolia’. But, a falsely created video has different effects and impacts.
To understand better, Vishvas News spoke to Jagran New Media’s Sanjay Gemini, Motion graphics designer (AV Team), who explained, “This is an edited video. Such works can be made from computer graphics, and many software are available, GFX (after effect) is one of them.”
Lastly, because the viral post claimed that the uncanny hands are praying for Joshimath, we also got in touch with Abhishek Tripathi, Additional District Magistrate Chamoli, who confirmed, “This clipping is not of Joshimath. Such huge buildings are not in Joshimath.”
The social scan of the user showed that he has 910 friends on Facebook.
Conclusion: A viral post on social media claiming that a cloud formation, looking uncannily like a pair of praying hands, seen in the skies of ‘devbhoomi’ Uttarakhand are CGI created and fake.