Fact-Check: Does This Video Show Indians Worshipping Nuclear Warhead? No!

The stony object in the video is a shivling, not a nuclear warhead.

A video of a shivling is being shared with the false claim that it shows Indians worshipping a nuclear warhead.

(Source: X/Altered by The Quint)

A video showing garlands around a large stone-like structure, being transported on a trailer truck is being shared on social media, where a section of users have claimed that it shows Indians worshipping a nuclear warhead.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

(Archived versions of more posts sharing this claim can be seen here, here, and here.)

But...?: The claim is false, as the object in the video is a shivling, not a nuclear warhead.

How do we know?: We noticed that the text in the video said that it was the "world's biggest shivling.

• We ran a keyword search for the same, which led us to an Instagram post by NDTV.

• It carried a video of a similar object, confirming that it was indeed the world's largest shivling which had reached Bihar, from Tamil Nadu.

• As per the Times of India, the structure is 33 feet tall and weighs over 210 tonnes.

• The shivling travelled a distance of 2,500 kilometers and is set to be installed in the soon-to-be-opened Virat Ramayan Mandir in Bihar's East Champaran.

• The publication also shared a video about the shivling's journey from Mahabalipuram, where it was sculpted from a single stone at a cost of three crore rupees.
  

News agency ANI had also shared a video of the shivling on its X account.

Conclusion: A video of a shivling being transported is being shared to falsely claim that it shows Indians worshipping a nuclear warhead.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)