The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha has constructed a grand Hindu stone temple on a 27-acre site in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba in Abu Dhabi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on 14 February 2024. In this context, a video (here & here) depicting a few Arab men playing music and dancing is being widely shared across social media platforms with the claim that the video is from a temple in Dubai. This article aims to fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video depicting Arab men dancing in a Hindu temple in Dubai.
Fact: The original video featured traditional Arab music performed by a group of men. Upon close examination, it becomes apparent that there is a lack of synchronization between their dance performance and the music being played. This discrepancy is evident in their hand movements while playing musical instruments and the resulting sound. This suggests that the original audio has been replaced with a Lord Krishna song. However, we were unable to independently verify the time, date, and context of this performance. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a reverse image search on the internet using the key frames of the viral video. This search led us to a similar video titled “Arabian Dance” on YouTube, posted on 15 February 2024. In this video, the original audio is audible, revealing that the people are playing traditional Arabian music and dancing accordingly. We also found a similar video with the caption “Traditional Arabic Dance” posted by another user, which also features the same traditional Arabian music. However, we were unable to independently verify the time, date, and context of this performance.
Upon careful observation of the viral video, it becomes apparent that there is a lack of synchronization between their dance performance and the music being played. This discrepancy is evident in their hand movements while playing musical instruments and the resulting sound. This indicates that the original audio has been edited with a Lord Krishna song and is being shared as Arab people dancing in a Hindu temple.
Subsequently, to learn more about traditional Arabian music and dance, we conducted an internet search and found several videos (here, here & here) where people’s dance form is identical to that in the viral dance video, and the music resembles a similar style.
To sum it up, this video, claiming to depict Arab men dancing in a Hindu temple in Dubai, has been digitally altered.
