A video is widely circulating on social media with the claim that mantras were chanted and Sanatana dharma was worshipped on Kamala Harris’s ‘first day’ as Vice President of the United States.

Alt News has also received verification requests for the video.

The same video was viral last month as Vedic mantras chanted on Joe Biden’s ‘first day’ at the White House.

Rtns Pls observe how the White House first day before entering the New American PRESIDENT, How they perform Indian Slocas invocking Almighty of the UNIVERS for the GOOD happening of the Countrymen.

Posted by Venkatesha Rao on Monday, 16 November 2020

The clip has been shared by several users on Facebook.

Fact-check

A keyword search on YouTube took us to an October 15, 2014 link where the same video was shared.

Radio Jockey Giridhar Talla had shared the video a day earlier on October 14, 2014. “Jeffrey Erhard and Robbie Erhard started off the fourth annual Hindu American Seva Communities Conference with the first anuvakam of Sri Rudram Namakam,” read the description. “Celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s 145th birth anniversary at the White House on October 2nd 2014. This is the Hindu American Seva Communities fourth annual conference,” it further said.

Rudram Chanting @the White House by the American DUO (MUST WATCH)

Jeffrey Erhard and Robbie Erhard started off the fourth annual Hindu American Seva Communities Conference with the first anuvakam of Sri Rudram Namakam.


Celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s 145th birth anniversary at the White House on October 2nd 2014. This is the Hindu American Seva Communities fourth annual conference. The conference was followed by a homeless hunger seva event organized by the Dharmic Feeding Coalition, which is a volunteer community that serves homeless hunger meals with the help of the Satya Sai Baba centers and Hare Krishna Temples.
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******Disclaimer: this is not an official White House endorsed event. This is a conference/briefing where Hindu-Americans gather to discuss seva and social justice at the White House thanks to the outreach of the current administration. The day was engaged in a dialogue and discussion about the importance of service and its relevance in the larger Hindu and American communities. Last year’s conference was celebrating Swami Vivekananda, this year was about Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.******

Posted by Giridhar Talla on Tuesday, 14 October 2014

The website of Hindu American Seva Communities had also posted about the event six years ago. The conference was held on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. “HASC is hosting the conference to highlight an inside-out approach to development and service through traditional Dharmic values of seva and social justice to address priority issues impacting our community and our country.”

It is also noteworthy that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the US President-elect and Vice-President-elect respectively. Their swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held on January 21, 2021 amidst Donald Trump’s repeated false claims that he won the elections.

A video from 2014 was falsely shared as Vedic hyms chanted upon Joe Biden’s arrival at the White House. The same video was also shared as Sanatana dharma worshipped on Kamala Harris’s first day as VP.

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About the Author

Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.