A video of a priest taking a dip in a lake is going viral to claim that Christians have been influenced by Maha Kumbh Mela and have decided to "adopt" the ritual.
How did we find out the truth?: We noticed '@danilescuandrei' username on the viral video which led us to a TikTok video (accessed via VPN) shared by the user.
The caption of this video specified that it is from Slobozia, a city in Romania.
It further stated that it shows a priest performing a ritual as a part of 'celebration of the Epiphany' which is an Orthodox Christian tradition to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ.
It is practiced by many Orthodox Christians by submerging themselves in icy water to symbolize the cleansing of their souls.
We also found reports about this tradition.
We also contacted a Catholic priest residing in Navi Mumbai who confirmed to us that the ritual seen in the video signifies a tradition of Orthodox Christians and marks the occasion of the baptism of Jesus Christ.
This ritual is also called the day of the Epiphany.
Conclusion: A video showing a priest performing an Orthodox Christian Epiphany ritual is being falsely linked to Kumbh Mela.
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