Did this evidence of idols of Vishnu, Shiv Ling and Chakra found in Sambhal mosque survey? Fact Check

A viral post on social media is being shared with a claim that ancient Hindu idols dating back to 1500 AD were discovered during a survey of the Sambhal Mosque in Uttar Pradesh. Here’s the post:

HUGE: EVIDENCE of Harihar Mandir have surfaced during Survey of Sambhal Masjid🤯

~ 1500 Years old Lord Vishnu’s Idol, Sudarshan Chakra of stone, Engravings, Govt Gazette, Map of Mandir & much more!🔥

Pay the price for every SIN. Babri, Gyanvapi, Sambhal & many more to come!🚩 pic.twitter.com/XL85j37Xnv

— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) December 1, 2024

The four visuals in the post depicted two statues of Lord Vishnu, one Shiva Linga and one Sudarshan Chakra. The claim was made in the context of Sambhal violent clashes over the survey of a mosque in Uttar Pradesh recently.

It has been shared here and here.

FACT-CHECK

When we first checked the images on Google Reverse image Search, the results showed that the images were not from Sambhal but from Raichur in Karnataka, in February 2024. Here are the reports published in February 2024 when these idols were unearthed.

The findings are identified as idols of Lord Vishnu and Shiva ling which were discovered during a bridge construction on the river of Krishna, near Devasugur village in Raichur District of Karnataka. Here’s a news clip pertaining to the discovery in Telugu by Suman TV aired in February 2024:

Hence, the claim that the idols were found in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district while conducting a survey of a mosque were untrue. There is no news coverage of any evidence about finding idols of Hindu deities so far in the Sambhal Mosque. Hence, the claim about the visuals is false.

Claim: Images of 1500 AD idols of Lord Vishnu, Shiva Ling, and Sudarshana Chakra found during a survey of the Sambhal Mosque in Uttar Pradesh.

Conclusion: Misleading. The viral photos of Vishnu idols and Shiva Ling were discovered from the river Krishna in February 2024 in Raichur district of Karnataka, not during the Sambhal mosque survey.

Rating: Misleading —