Fact Check: Image of fountain shared online to discredit discovery of ‘Shivling’ inside Gyanvapi Mosque

New Delhi, May 18: Following the finding of a 'Shivling' in the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi, the social media has been flooded with claims trying to debunk the findings.

The Muslim side said that they would challenge the findings and added that what was being claimed to be a 'Shivling' was actually a fountain. Many on the social media claimed that this fountain was falsely contended to be a 'Shivling.'

OneIndia has learnt that the image being circulated is not from the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. With the help of reverse search we found that the image in question is not from Gyanvapi, but from the Nakhoda Masjid in Kolkata.

The image also appeared in the blog with the caption, "Ablution pool, Nakhoda Masjid." Image: wikimedia commons.

If one looks at the image closely, it becomes clear that the one being shared with the claim that it is from the Gyanvapi Mosque is exactly similar to the original which is from the Ablution pool, Nakhoda Masjid.

The Nakhoda Masjid, according to the West Bengal department of tourism is the biggest Mosque in Kolkata. It was built in 1926 and has been a prominent tourist destination. A video of the Mosque can be found here

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government said that the 'Shivling' was found in the pond at Gyanvapi was used for purification rituals before namaz. The Supreme Court said that if the 'Shivling' was found then the area should be protected. The court however ordered not to restrict or impede the entry of Muslims for namaz.

Hence it can be concluded that the viral image of the fountain being shared online to discredit the discovery of the 'Shivling' is from the Nakhoda Masjid in Kolkata and not from the Gyanvapi Mosque complex.