A picture of a fountain inside a mosque in Kolkata is being shared on social media to discredit claims that a Shivling was found at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
A Varanasi court on May 16, 2022, ordered the sealing a portion of Gyanvapi mosque after Hindu plaintiffs in the case claimed that a Shivling was found in the complex of the mosque after a court mandated survey of the premises. However, The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee representing the Muslim side have claimed that the object described as Shivling is a fountain in the Wazu Khana (ablution) area. The Hindu plaintiffs in the legal dispute over the Mughal-era Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh allege that the mosque has been built on top of a Hindu shrine, which has been contested by the other side.
The photo is being shared by Muslim Facebook users as sarcasm.
The picture is being shared with a Hindi caption which translates to, "Have a look at the Shivling discovered inside Gyanvapi mosque. Anyway, this is no wonder that if idols can be discovered from Babri masjid, then why can not a Shivling can be discovered from the ablution pool. Moreover, I would like to applaud all those sanghi judges who sealed the wazu khana just after one claim."
(Original Text in Hindi: लो भाई दर्शन कर लो ज्ञानव्यापी मस्जिद के अंदर निकले शिवलिंग का खैर ये तो कोई आश्चर्य वाली बात नहीं थी जब बाबरी के अंदर मूर्तियां निकल सकती हैं तो वाजुखाना शिवलिंग क्यों नही हो सकता और में दाद देता हूं उन तमाम संघी जजो को जिन्होंने सिर्फ एक दावे मात्र पर वाजूखाना सील कर दिया)
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Another user on Facebook wrote in Hindi, "Administration is yours, governance is yours, lawyer is yours, judge is yours, video and photographer is also belong to you, then write the truth a lie. Since the newspaper is yours, write the truth a lie. Just have patience with the Muslims in India, the Shivling is said to be a fountain when nothing was found. Gyanvapi mosque, Varanasi".
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Also Read: Video Of Hindu Devotees Dancing Not Linked To Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute
Fact Check
BOOM ran a reverse image search and found the same image on Wikipedia Commons website.
The description with the image mentioned that the image is of the ablution pool present at Nakhoda mosque in Kolkata.
We also found similar images of the ablution pool on stock photo websites including Alamy and Flickr.
Pictures of the ablution pool at Nakhoda mosque can also be found on the website of West Bengal government's tourism department.
According to their information, "Nakhoda Masjid is acknowledged as the largest Masjid in the city of Kolkata. It was built under the benefaction of a dweller of Kutch, Abdar Rahim Osman in the year 1926. Around 10,000 devotees can perform their prayer, or 'Namaaz' in this splendid Masjid together."
We also found a video of Nakhoda mosque on YouTube. The video shows the same place present in the viral photograph at 2:57 time stamp.
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