Old video of chanting Sanskrit Slokas at White House resurfaces ahead of Bidens’ entry

As Joe Biden’s electoral victory was announced with the transition process set in by the White House, a video is making rounds on social media with the claim that they were recited at the White House before the new American President entered office.

The caption of the video says, “In White House first day before entering the new American President. How they perform Indian shlocas invoking almighty of the universe for the good happening of the countryman.” Digiteye India received the video for fact check on its dedicated WhatsApp number. The video is widely shared on Twitter and Facebook as below:

In White House first day before entering the new American President. How they perform Indian shlocas invoking almighty of the universe for the good happening of the countryman ??? pic.twitter.com/76QFw4ZAIA

— It’s me ? Ramesh – Janasainik ? (@Urs_Ramesh_Urs) November 20, 2020

Fact Check

When searched on Google, it was found that chanting Sanskrit slokas at the White House are done occasionally and the recent one was in May 2020 during the National Day prayer amid the Coronavirus pandemic. However, further search revealed that the particular video being circulated was not for the Bidens before entering the White House but as old as 2014. See the original video here:

The video was about the Erhard boys (two men on the stage), who chanted the Rudram at the Hindu-American Seva Communities Conference in the White House on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary on October 2, 2014 and the video was uploaded on October 14, 2014.

This video was again shared on social media now, two months ahead of the Bidens’ official entry into the White House on January 20, 2021, claiming that it was on the occasion of the entry of Bidens into the White House which has not taken place as of November 25, 2020. Joe Biden will be sworn-in 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021 and then the Bidens will officially enter the White House.

Conclusion: The video was being circulated with wrong claims and at a wrong time. Our rating is — Misrepresentation.