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Photos of idols found in Karnataka in February 2024 are falsely shared as ancient Hindu idols found in the Sambhal Mosque survey

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A post being shared on social media (here, here, here, and here) claims that a 1500 AD statue of lord Vishnu, along with a Sudarshana Chakra and Hindu symbol idols, were discovered during a survey of the Sambhal Mosque in Uttar Pradesh. The post includes four photos, showing two Vishnu statues, a Shiva Linga, and a Sudarshana Chakra. The post is shared in connection with the violent clashes that occurred during the survey on 24 November 2024, which resulted in four deaths and twenty policemen being injured (here, and here). Let’s verify the claim made in the post through this article.

The archived post can be found here.

Claim: Photo of 1500 AD statue of Lord Vishnu, a Shiva Lingam, and a Sudarshana Chakra found during a survey of the Sambhal Mosque in Uttar Pradesh. 

Fact: The viral photos of the lord Vishnu statue and Shiva Lingam were discovered in the Krishna River during the construction of a bridge in Raichur district, Karnataka, in February 2024. As of writing this article, there is no evidence or reports of Hindu deity idols being found in the Sambhal Mosque in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.

To verify the claim, we conducted a Google keyword search and found no credible reports confirming that ancient Hindu idols were discovered during the Sambhal Mosque survey. It was also noted that the survey report has not yet been made public, as the Supreme Court has directed it to remain confidential until the Allahabad High Court hears the case.

We then conducted a reverse image search of the photos, which led us to an X post (archived) by NDTV featuring the same viral images, published on 07 February 2024. The post also included a link to a news article stating that these idols were found in a riverbed in Karnataka.

According to this NDTV article, these idols were discovered in the Krishna River during the construction of a bridge near the Telangana-Karnataka border in Karnataka’s Raichur district. The Vishnu idol and the Shivalinga are currently in the custody of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Additional news articles published in February 2024, featuring photos of these idols and providing similar details (here, here, and here). While the specifics of the Sudarshana Chakra depicted in the viral post are unclear, it has been confirmed as a stock image unrelated to the Sambhal Masjid survey.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district, a petition was filed by eight individuals, including lawyer Hari Shankar Jain and Mahant Rishiraj Giri, claiming that the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi was constructed in 1526 by Mughal emperor Babur after demolishing a temple at the site. The Sambhal District Court’s Civil Judge (Senior Division) issued an ex-parte order on 19 November 2024, permitting a survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid through an Advocate Commissioner (here). Lawyer Ramesh Chand Raghav was appointed as the Advocate Commissioner for the survey. The first phase of the survey was conducted on 19 November 2024, followed by the second phase on 24 November 2024.

On 29 November 2024, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar heard the petition filed by the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee, challenging the trial court’s 19 November 2024 order to survey the mosque. Senior advocate Huzaefa Ahmad, representing the committee, requested a stay on the order, but the bench rejected it. The committee was directed to approach the Allahabad High Court. Justice Khanna emphasised the need to maintain peace and prevent unwanted incidents. The trial court was instructed not to proceed with further hearings until the High Court’s review. The case was adjourned to 6 January 2025, and any report from the Advocate Commissioner was directed to be kept in a sealed cover. A copy of the 29 November 2024 orders of the Supreme Court can be found here.

 To sum up, photos of idols found in Karnataka in February 2024 are falsely shared as ancient Hindu idols from the Sambhal Mosque survey.

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