Fact Check: Video shows three heads of an elephant at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj? Here’s the reality

The Maha Kumbh Mela is going to start from January 13, 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, which will continue till February 2025. Meanwhile, a video is going viral on social media, showing three heads of an elephant.  While sharing the video users write “Have a darshan of the wonderful three faced Gajanan in Prayagraj Maha Kumbh.”

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Fact Check

During the investigation, DFRAC found the claim to be false. We found a similar video on the YouTube channel ‘Love-6395’, uploaded on May 31, 2024, with the description: “Prepare for the Ayutthaya Khon parade, a world-class event at a world heritage site for the Thai people of Ayutthaya. The 5th Krungsri Khon, three-headed elephant parade.”

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Furthermore, we also found a similar post on the Facebook page ‘Thai Culture to the World’, uploaded on June 5, 2024, with the caption: “Inthorachit disguised as Indra God riding the Erawan Elephant. Picture from the parade of the ‘Ayutthaya KHON Festival 2024’. According to the Ramakien Epic (the Thai version of the Ramayana), Inthorachit (Indrajit) is a yaksha demon and the son of Thosakanth (Ravana) and Nang Montho (Mandodari). Inthorachit has the ability to disguise himself as Indra God and helps Thosakanth fight Phra Ram (Rama) and Phra Lak (Lakshmana).”

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Conclusion

It is evident from DFRAC’s fact check that the viral video is from the Ayutthaya KHON Festival 2024 in Thailand, not from the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Therefore, the claim made by social media users is misleading.