Image from Odisha shared as recent Shivling discovered at the Gyanvapi mosque. – FactCrescendo | The leading fact-checking website in India

The viral image is not from Gyanvapi mosque in Uttar Pradesh. The image is from Odisha showing the Shivling in Baba Bhusandeswar temple

The Gyanvapi Masjid, adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, is embroiled in a legal fight. Varanasi court directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to probe the claims of Hindu origins of the structure of the Gyanvapi Masjid.

After the three-day Gyanvapi Masjid survey conclusion, a lawyer from the Hindu side in the case claimed that a Shivling had been found inside a ‘Wazukhana’ or reservoir on the mosque complex.

According to news reports, the mosque committee dismissed the claim and said that what was being claimed as a Shivling, was actually a fountain.

Amidst this, an image of a huge Shivling is widely circulating on social media with the claim that it shows 12.8 feet Shivling that was discovered in the Gyanvapi mosque.

The caption of the post states that “Hearty congratulations to all the Sanatan devotees and countrymen on getting 12.8 feet high Shivling on the historic day of Monday in Gyanvapi.”

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Fact Check-

We started our investigation by a Google reverse image search whose results led us to the Wikipedia page of Baba Bhusandeswar Temple located in Odisha. Baba Bhusandeswar Temple is located at Bhogarai village of Balasore district, Odisha, India. The 12 feet long and 14 feet width lingam is carved out on a black granite and only half of the lingam is visible. The other half has remained buried for years. 

The viral image can be seen on Wikipedia’s media viewer stating that the image shows Baba Bhusandeswar Lingam, which is Asia’s Largest Lingam. Monjit Paul who is an Assistant Professor in Ashutosh College captured the image. The image was created in November 2014.

You can see several other images of the Shivling situated at Rayaramchandra Pur at the Bank of river Subarnapur, Balasore on Trip Advisors website as well. 

Sanket TV posted a video of this 12 feet long Shiva Linga at Bhusandeswar Temple in Odisha. Rising Odisha also posted a video of the Shivling in Baba Bhusandeswar temple in Bhogarai village in Odisha.

Fact Crescendo contacted a localite of Bhogarai and a journalist from Odia news- Lopa Mudra Sahoo who confirmed to us that the image shows Shivling in the Baba Bhusandeswar Temple is located at Bhogarai village of Balasore district, Odisha. The viral image is not from Gyanvapi mosque in Uttar Pradesh.

Conclusion- Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the image to be False. The viral image is unrelated to the Gyanvapi mosque. The image shows the Shivling in Baba Bhusandeswar temple in Bhogarai village in Odisha. The viral image is not from Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.

Title:Image from Odisha shared as recent Shivling discovered at the Gyanvapi mosque.

Fact Check By: Drabanti Ghosh 

Result: False