Fact Check: Diamond-studded Shiva lingam is from Murugan temple, not Kanchipuram's Ekambaranathar temple
A video of a diamond-studded Shiva lingam has gone viral on social media with the claim that it is from Kanchipuram’s Ekambaranathar temple (Tamil Nadu).
By Newsmeter Network Published on 14 Aug 2021 9:26 AM IST
Hyderabad: A video of a diamond-studded Shiva lingam has gone viral on social media with the claim that it is from Kanchipuram's Ekambaranathar temple (Tamil Nadu). Several netizens have shared the image with the caption, "Kanchipuram Ekambaranathar Temple 100008 diamonds fixed on Sivalingam. Very lucky to see this you need thousands of eyes to see."
Fact Check:
The claim is false. The diamond-studded Shiva lingam is from Murugan temple and not Kanchipuram's Ekambaranathar temple.
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found a news report by News18 Telugu from September 2018 that carried the same video. The description indicates that the diamond-studded Shiva lingam is from Sri Murugan temple in Tamil Nadu. The same video was also posted by the verified YouTube channel of Sri Sri Rashasthali Temple. Here, too, the description states that the video is from the Shree Murugan temple at Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. The video shows the Pradosham day celebrations at the Sivakasi Murugan temple in 2018 where the Shiva lingam is adorned with diamonds on the occasion of the temple's regional day.
It is clear that the Shiva lingam is not from Ekambaranathar temple in Kanchipuram but from Sivakasi Murugan temple. Hence, the claim is false.
