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This Clip Doesn’t Show People Fighting After Not Getting Share From Donation Box

The video actually shows people participating in a religious ritual in Karnataka.

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A video of a crowd throwing burning torches is being shared on the internet with a claim that it shows a fight that recently broke out after some people did not get a share from the donation box of a temple.

(More archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.)

What's the truth?: The video dates back to April 2025 and shows devotees gathered for the Agni Keli fire-throwing ritual held at Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple in Karnataka.

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How did we find that out?: We conducted a simple Google Lens search on the keyframes of the viral clip and came across the same visuals published on Yahoo News.

  • The report said that the visuals were from 20 April and showed devotees gathered at the Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple for the Agni Keli fire-throwing ritual in Karnataka.

  • It further mentioned that the ritual is called Thootedhara and is said to invoke blessings from Goddess Durga.

Other news reports: A report published by Hindustan Times said that the festival was held in Mangaluru in the honour of Goddess Durga. It includes people a ritual, where people throw "burning palm fronds" at each other.

  • The report further mentioned that the ritual is a centuries-old tradition which takes place at the temple.

  • India Today, too, shared a video report about the ritual on their official YouTube channel. It was posted on 21 April with a title that said, "'Thootedara': A Ritual Where Devotees Play With Fire, Celebrated In Mangaluru's Kateel Temple."

Conclusion: Evidently, the video of people participating in a ritual is being shared on the internet with a misleading context.

(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 webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)

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