{"id":118504,"date":"2022-05-19T15:28:46","date_gmt":"2022-05-19T09:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=118504"},"modified":"2022-05-19T15:28:46","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T09:58:46","slug":"maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Nandi idol in Maharashtra temple falsely viral as idol facing Gyanvapi mosque"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Against the backdrop of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndtv.com\/india-news\/gyanvapi-mosque-video-survey-report-submitted-in-sealed-cover-in-varanasi-court-2989285\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ongoing dispute<\/a> over Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, a picture of an idol of Nandi, the vehicle of Hindu deity Shiva, is viral on social media. The text accompanying the picture reads, &#8220;Nandi always has his face towards the Shiva Lingam, but Nandi of Kashi Vishwanath faces the Gyanvapi Mosque, which was originally Vishwanath Mandir. Nandi gazes at the door, waiting for his master.&#8221; This implies that Gyanvapi mosque is actually a Hindu temple.<\/p>\n<p>Facebook pages <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100238318310989\/posts\/529370098731140\">Hindutva<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/2217070035188296\/posts\/3297465770482045\">Namo Dobara<\/a>, Facebook group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/1659936630963412\/posts\/2902303246726738\">We Support Amit Shah<\/a>, Twitter user <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/UqTMa\">The Sanatan Uday<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/M6ved\">Tulsi Ahuja<\/a> and several others amplified the claim.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-118504 gallery-columns-5 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"670\" height=\"849\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface2.jpg 670w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface2-237x300.jpg 237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface1\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"688\" height=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface1.jpg 688w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface1-280x300.jpg 280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface3\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"664\" height=\"898\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface3.jpg 664w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface3-222x300.jpg 222w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface4\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"763\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface4.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface4.jpg 685w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface4-269x300.jpg 269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface5\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"688\" height=\"765\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface5.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface5.jpg 688w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface5-270x300.jpg 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>This is not the first time this image was circulated with such a claim. In fact, it was shared on social media with the same claim in <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/saFGL\">2019<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/uwgdH\">2020<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/ZmTGw\">2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-118504 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface8\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"592\" height=\"817\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface8.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface8.jpg 592w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface8-217x300.jpg 217w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface7\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"817\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface7.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface7.jpg 601w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface7-221x300.jpg 221w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/maharashtra-wai-temple-photo-of-nandi-shared-as-gyanvapi-mosque-up\/nandiface6\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"670\" height=\"831\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface6.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface6.jpg 670w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandiface6-242x300.jpg 242w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h4><strong>Fact-check<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>We performed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/search\/ris\/254523949%2C1685464693%2C1444998032%2C786813103%2C25452118%2C131692403%2C507471235%2C333218087%2C2524713%2C623708885%2C211102201%2C730462963%2C1011239296%2C706605739%2C693599866%2C8056027%2C535612594%2C1272474184%2C1404415376%2C1415996759%2C752736934%2C1179406168%2C1385219033%2C1060571813%2C1221245110%2C196047221%2C647181151%2C1347387926%2C29704174%2C396136435%2C638890033%2C56285293%2C1211244535%2C95804353%2C1683981658%2C377071549%2C534207811%2C1605463756%2C383069341%2C1213209844%2C1384288532%2C323044550%2C34219522%2C36442219%2C120606505%2C714526909%2C1700817508%2C1302697600%2C690695128%2C30975712%2C433894183%2C1580525683%2C607492043%2C1370258156%2C649176574%2C1201595215%2C675493831%2C31497448%2C1457805416%2C785689096%2C777787006%2C1388243528%2C779384782%2C1177542667%2C1915869238%2C447130045%2C1389130487%2C1867086073%2C176024504%2C1424701625%2C1417571675%2C41401990%2C370007954%2C1748006111%2C635051645%2C1260001096%2C1289346787%2C1287549082%2C1288070353%2C1370258162%2C1314095423%2C573170%2C1939064986%2C741238795%2C476216179%2C32240074%2C330702893%2C1370108057%2C1676765716%2C713666128%2C161608667%2C471984706%2C1739054000%2C1104461039%2C1207076749%2C1044503578%2C1343334329%2C778776310%2C722717431%2C1281920617\">reverse image search<\/a> and located the image on stock photo website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/wai-maharashtra-india-august-1-2011-1404415376\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shutterstock<\/a>. It says that the image shows the courtyard of Kashi Vishweshwar temple located in the Wai district of Maharashtra.<\/p>\n<p>Based on this information, we performed some keyword searches on YouTube and found a video of the <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/K9xb3qdZsac?t=52\">Kashi Vishweshwar Temple<\/a> in Maharashtra. In this video, the Nandi idol seen in the viral graphic appears at the 0:52 mark.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"646\" class=\"wp-image-118508\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/word-image-12.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/word-image-12.jpeg 810w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/word-image-12-300x239.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/word-image-12-768x613.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Thus, the Nandi idol seen in the viral picture is actually from the courtyard of the Kashi Vishweshwar temple located in Maharashtra\u2019s Wai district. The image was falsely circulated on social media in connection with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Mosque located in Varanasi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Against the backdrop of the ongoing dispute over Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, a picture of an idol of Nandi, the vehicle of Hindu deity Shiva, is viral on social media. The text accompanying the picture reads, &#8220;Nandi always has his face towards the Shiva Lingam, but Nandi of Kashi Vishwanath faces the Gyanvapi Mosque, which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":118538,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[693],"an_content_type":[739],"coauthors":[701],"class_list":["post-118504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religion","tag-featured","fact_checks_claim_type-viral-photos","an_content_type-fact-check"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/nandigyan.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118504"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118540,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118504\/revisions\/118540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118504"},{"taxonomy":"an_content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/an_content_type?post=118504"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=118504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}