Fact Check: Viral Three-Headed Elephant Video from Thailand, Not Kumbh Mela
9 Jan 2025 6:05 PM IST
Viral Three-Headed Elephant Video from Thailand, Not Kumbh Mela. (Photo: Quint)
Claim: A video of a three-headed elephant has gone viral on social media, with users sharing the video and claiming that this elephant will be part of Maha Kumbh Mela, which will be held from January 13 to February 26.
Image Source: The Quint
Fact Check: The Quint fact-checked the viral video and found that the claim is false. The elephant shown in the video is wearing two additional heads at Thailand’s Ayutthaya Khon Festival that represented Erawan, which is the divine elephant in Thai culture.
The Quint fact-check team did a reverse image search on some of the keyframes of the video, which led them to a YouTube video shared on May 31, 2024, which matched the viral video and was shared by a Thai vlogger “LOVE-6395.” The description of the video said preparations for the Ayutthaya Khon parade.
A relevant keyword search on Google also led to similar videos of three-headed elephants wearing two extra prosthetic heads to represent Erawan during the Ayutthaya Khon Festival at Wat Mahathat.
Hence, the viral video of three-headed elephants claiming to be part of Maha Kumbh Mela is a video from Thailand’s Ayutthaya Khon Festival.
Disclaimer: This story was published first on The Quint, republished by Deccan Chronicle as part of Shakti collective.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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