A video showing a massive shaligram, a naturally fossilised ammonite stone, which is considered sacred and is collected from the Kali Gandaki River bed in the Himalayas, is being widely shared on social media after the recent floods in Nepal.
The claim: Among those sharing the claim is Supreme Court Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, who shared a photo of the stone with text reading, "Over 17 crore year old Shaligram stone found in Muktinath, Nepal."
Some users also linked the stone to the situation in Nepal, claiming that "a 31-ton Shaligram, 175 million years old, emerged to the surface (SIC)" after the recent floods.
Is it true?: No, the claim is false, as the 'shaligram' is not real.
The visuals feature a sculpture along the banks of Kali Gandaki River in Nepal's Jomsom, which was unveiled in May 2026.
How did we find out the truth?: In many of the claims, the video being shared carried text which said that the visual showed a "giant stone artwork... inspired by the sacred Shaligram."
A reverse image search on some frames of the video also led us to an Instagram post shared by 'nepaltraveller' dated 11 August 2026, which predates the floods in Nepal.
The post's caption identified the structure as a 22-foot tall man-made sculpture in Nepal's Jomsom, which was commissioned by the Jomsom-Gharapjhong Rural Municipality.
It mentioned that the artwork was unveiled by an Indian jagadguru on 28 May 2026, making the claims false.
A keyword search for 'Jomsom shaligram sculpture' led us to news reports about it.
A report by Nepali news outlet Desh Sanchar said that the piece was sculpted by people from the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, and was "expected to boost religious tourism" in the area, which is near the Muktinath Temple.
It added that the sculpture was inaugurated by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahaswami Vidushekhara Bharati Maharaj of the Sringeri Sharada Peeth in Karnataka, after rituals.
A keyword search for more visuals on YouTube led us to the jagadguru's YouTube channel, where we found clips of the 'idol' being inaugurated.
Another report by Rising Nepal said that 36 people had participated in the Academy's workshop, carving about 18 sculptures from the boulders along the river's bank and bed, but "everyone's attention is now drawn to the world's largest Shaligram Sheela replica."
It is also important to note that the sculpture is in Jomsom, which is hundreds of kilometres away from the areas impacted by the recent floods in Nepal.
Conclusion: A video of a shaligram sculpture which was unveiled in May 2026 is being falsely shared as visuals of a real, ancient shaligram which was recently 'discovered' in Nepal.
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