A viral video (here, here and here) claims that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed in Mauritius on 11-12 March 2025, by a group dressed in Indian attire, playing musical instruments, and performing the popular satirical song on inflation, “Mahangai Dayain Khaaye Jaat Hai.” Let’s verify the truth behind this video.
Claim: The viral video shows PM Modi being welcomed in Mauritius in 2025 with the song “Mahangai Dayain Khaaye Jaat Hai,” highlighting inflation and rising prices.
Fact: The viral video is digitally edited. The original footage, shared by official sources, shows PM Modi being welcomed with a traditional Bhojpuri Geet Gawai performance during his visit to Mauritius on 11-12 March 2025. There is no evidence that “Mahangai Dayain” was played during the event. Hence, the claim is False.
To verify the claim, we performed a reverse image search on Google, which led us to the official X handle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he shared the same video, but an extended version, on 11 March 2025. At the 1:40 mark, a group of artists can be heard singing Bhojpuri Geet Gawai with lyrics specifically welcoming Modi to Mauritius. The original Bhojpuri lyrics translate to: “Welcome, we welcome Modi ji. Blessed, blessed is our country… Modi ji has arrived. It is a bond spanning lifetimes. Say Jai Mauritius… Jai Bharat.”
We also found a YouTube video on the PMO India and MyGov India channels, uploaded on 11 March 2025, titled “Traditional Bihari Welcome for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mauritius.” The video captures the same event from different angles, confirming that the artists were performing the Bhojpuri Geet Gawai song as part of a traditional welcome.
Further research led us to multiple reports about the event (here, here and here), all showing the same attire and visuals. According to these reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome in Mauritius on 11 March 2025, where the Indian diaspora greeted him with a traditional Bihari Geet Gawai performance, a Bhojpuri musical ensemble recognized by UNESCO for its cultural significance. PM Modi was seen enjoying the performance, clapping along with the artists. Several community members expressed their excitement about meeting him, emphasising the strong ties between India and Mauritius. During his two-day visit, Modi engaged in high-level talks, addressed a community event, and attended Mauritius’ 57th National Day celebrations as the Chief Guest.
Additionally, “Mahangai Dayain Khaaye Jaat Hai” is a popular Bhojpuri folk song that gained nationwide attention after being featured in the 2010 Bollywood film Peepli Live. Sung by Raghubir Yadav, the song portrays inflation as a witch (dayan) that devours people, highlighting the struggles of the poor due to rising prices of essentials like food and fuel. Over the years, the phrase “Mahangai Dayain” has been widely used in political debates and protests against economic hardship. However, there is no evidence that this song was played during PM Modi’s Mauritius visit.
To sum up, the video of PM Modi being welcomed with an inflation song in Mauritius is digitally edited
