No, this video does not show 'Deepotsavam' in Kerala or Hyderabad
A video of a beautiful fleet of lit boats snaking through water is doing the rounds on social media with different claims.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 8 Nov 2022 12:01 PM GMT
Hyderabad: A video of a beautiful fleet of lit boats snaking through water is doing the rounds on social media with different claims. Some users have claimed it is from Kerala, while others have claimed it is from Sri Mahankaleshwara Devalayam, Miralam Mandi—a temple in Hyderabad.
Bhawana Somaaya, a film critic and author, shared the video and wrote, "#Deepotsavam in Kerala. 240 boats sailing in the river with lamps.#Diwali celebrations continue…" (Archive)
Click here to see the post.
Another Twitter user shared the video and suggested it is from a festival celebration in Sri Mahankaleshwara Devalayam, Miralam Mandi. (Archive)
Click here to see the post.
Fact Check
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found that China Daily, a Chinese state-affiliated media, had tweeted the same video on 4 September. It said the video shows a dragon dance on the river.
The video was also posted on 4 September by Zhang Meifang, a Chinese government official. She also said that the video shows a dragon dance on the river.
Further, we found screenshots of the video in an article published by the government website Guangxi China. It said that on 19 May, 80 bamboo rafts with golden lights formed a 70-meter-long dragon-like structure and wandered along the Yulong river. The event was organised on the 12th China Tourism Day, a commemorative day that aims to improve Yulong River's reputation and create new night tourism models.
We also found the video posted on verified Facebook pages of Chinese state media like Xi's Moments and CGTN.
It is evident that the video is from China. Hence, the claim is false.
