FACT CHECK: Aerial image of Maha Kumbh Mela passed off as farmers protest at Delhi
An aerial view of multiple tents in the open ground is viral on social media. Users claim that it is the aerial view...
By Newsmeter Network Published on 7 Jan 2021 7:55 AM GMT
HYDERABAD: An aerial view of multiple tents in the open ground is viral on social media. Users claim that it is the aerial view of the "world's largest protest" - the farmers' agitation at Delhi's Singhu border. It has been falsely linked to the ongoing farmers' protest against the farm laws.
The text along with the picture reads: "Picture from world's largest protest, Singhu border, Delhi."
Click here to view the archive of the above post and here for a similar claim.
FACT CHECK:
The claim of the image being linked to the farmers protest is false.
We performed a reverse image search and found a blog with the title, "Maha Kumbh Mela – maailman suurin festivaali". The article states that this picture is from a 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela which was held in Prayagraj (previously Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh.
We then used this information, and found similar pictures of the 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela on the stock image site "Alamy". The caption of one such picture reads: "Tents/landscape during Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 in Allahabad, India". According to this website, the location was mentioned as Allahabad Sangam Nagri, Bhulai Ka Pura Road, Govindpur, and Teliarganj in Uttar Pradesh. It is dated 8 February 2013.
We also found similar images of tents at the Kumbh Mela site on Getty Images with a similar caption, ''Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 India, Uttar Pradesh (United Provinces), Allahabad. Maha Kumbh Mela 2013, daily life of the camp, view from the bridge.''
As per news reports, the 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela was attended by nearly 100 million devotees across the globe. "Tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims are now descending on Allahabad, India, joining an estimated 8 million already there for the Maha Kumbh Mela" reads THE ATLANTIC.
The viral image has been falsely linked to the ongoing farmers' protest in Delhi. The image is from a 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela when several people came together for the event in Uttar Pradesh.
Hence, the claim is false.
