A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a Shivling that was unearthed during the excavations at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a Shivling that was unearthed during the excavations at Ayodhya in UP.
Fact: While it is true that some ancient remains of a temple were found at the Ayodhya temple site, the Shivling in the posted photo was not unearthed during the excavations in Ayodhya. It is related to a temple in Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh) and is reportedly around 250 years old. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
When the posted photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found in an article published by ‘Amar Ujala’ in 2016. In the article, it can be read that the Shivling in the image is related to a temple in Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh). The Shivling in the photo is reportedly around 250 years old.
There were news reports in 2020 regarding the remains of ancient temples such as pillars, idols of deities, and a Shivling which were found during the excavations at the Ayodhya temple site. But the Shivling in the posted photo is not from Ayodhya. Also, FACTLY has previously debunked the same photo when it went viral with a similar claim in 2020.
To sum it up, a debunked photo of a Shivling from Farrukhabad is revived again as an idol unearthed during the excavations in Ayodhya.