Footage does not show fireworks on last day of Kumbh Mela
It includes a video of people in boats watching the sky lit up with fireworks and a laser light show. A Hindi text overlay reads: "First and last Maha Kumbh of life."
The video spread elsewhere on Facebook and Instagram as the six-week Hindu religious gathering wrapped up in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (archived link). Organizers say hundreds of millions of devotees attended the gathering.
Comments from social media users "hailing the concluding ceremony" suggest they believed the claim about a fireworks and laser show.
However, reverse image searches using keyframes from the clip found another video that a photography Instagram account posted November 15, 2024 (archived link).
AFP contacted the Instagram handle managed by Ankit Dixit, who confirmed the video was filmed in Varanasi in November 2024.
"I filmed the video during Dev Deepawali celebration on banks of river Ganga in Varanasi and published it the same night on my social media platforms," Dixit told AFP on March 3, referring to another Hindu festival (archived link).
Indian news agency ANI also shared glimpses from the celebration in a November 15, 2024 X post (archived link).
AFP found no such reports about fireworks at the Kumbh Mela's concluding ceremony, although drones lit up the sky on more than one occasion during the event.
State broadcaster DD News reported an air show conducted by the Indian Air Force "over the mela area marked the end of the 45-day celebration" (archived link).
AFP has fact-checked other misinformation about the Kumbh Mela here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘I've failed you': S.F. chef apologizes after viral clash with influencer
The San Francisco chef at the center of a viral social media controversy issued a public apology Sunday for a recent incident involving a TikTok influencer. Meanwhile, the restaurant in the dustup, Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley, announced its last night of service was Saturday and that it is now permanently closed, according to its Instagram account. Luke Sung was ousted as chef and co-owner of Kis Cafe last week after he drew widespread online condemnation for his treatment of a food influencer identified as @ItsKarlaBB. The incident is the latest to highlight the fraught relationship between restaurants and influencers, who can help promote them — or, in this case, close them. 'Hi everyone — I am Luke Sung,' began the apology posted to Kis Cafe's Instagram page. 'It was important for me to first apologize to Karla privately and step away from Kis Cafe before publicly apologizing.' Sung acknowledged being 'condescending, hurtful, and intimidating' to the influencer during her visit for a planned promotional dinner. @itskarlabb its a long video and not something i would normally upload but i feel like i had to talk about this experience. i basically ran out of there but i wish i would've stood up for myself. if you are a micro influencer i know it's easy to feel discouraged at times but don't let anyone make you feel small or unimportant!! ♬ original sound - itskarlabb Her emotional account of the encounter — shared Wednesday in a TikTok video that has since amassed over 20 million views — accused Sung of belittling her content and follower count, which stood at 15,000 at the time. That number has since surged past 350,000. According to the influencer, after briefly glancing through her TikTok profile, the chef dismissed her work. 'After scrolling, like, two times, he says to me that he doesn't think my videos are at the level at which he wants his restaurant represented,' she said in her video. He then criticized her audience, she said. 'He goes on to say that my audience and my followers are not the kind of people that are going to be at his restaurant,' she said. 'It seemed like he was insinuating that my followers would not be able to afford to eat at this restaurant.' The encounter escalated further when Sung asked if she knew who he was. She said she didn't. 'He says he's a James Beard Award recipient or finalist or something, and I'm like 'great, like, I don't know what to say to that,'' she said. Sung reportedly followed by citing his daughter's online presence, telling the influencer that she wasn't on the same level as his daughter, Isabelle 'Isa' Sung, who he said had 600,000 TikTok followers. 'I told him I felt disrespected and didn't want to collaborate anymore,' she said in her video. In his apology, Luke Sung stated, 'There are no excuses to be made. I've decided it's time for me to step away from Kis Cafe permanently and in all capacities.' The fallout has been swift. Kis Cafe, which opened in May, initially apologized on Thursday and confirmed Sung was no longer affiliated in 'any way.' 'I also want to be clear the responsibility of this whole situation is mine alone and my behavior should not be a reflection on anyone else who works there, or anyone who is related to me,' Sung wrote. 'I truly care about my staff and am devastated that my actions have impacted both them and their families.' Yelp and Google reviews of both Kis Cafe and Sung's former restaurant Isa, in the Marina District, have been inundated with one-star ratings. Sung also addressed his staff and family, notably his daughter. 'I am sorry I put you in this position,' he wrote. 'I've failed you in the worst way.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Christina Aguilera Fans Rush to Her Defense Over Very Edgy New Photos
Christina Aguilera Fans Rush to Her Defense Over Very Edgy New Photos originally appeared on Parade. Christina Aguilerais getting fans talking with her latest fashion choice. While stepping out for a performance of Burlesque the Musical in London, England on Monday, July 21, the "Beautiful" songstress stepped out in a very edgy look that some fans weren't loving—but others say the haters just "don't get it." 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 In the new photos, Aguilera, 44, can be seen wearing a mustard-yellow Versace corset dress and a pair of thigh-high black boots. She also added to the dramatic look with a bold dark purple lip. Several users on Instagram questioned the singer's bleach-blonde and slightly frizzy hairstyle for the outing, with critics leaving comments like "That hair needs help" and "That hairstylist needs a good talking to…." However, as a number of followers pointed out in the comments, Aguilera was actually referencing a look from a 2003 Versace photoshoot, where her blonde hair was styled to look extra teased and frizzy for edgy fashion purposes. "She is recreating a magazine look she did in 2003 with this same hair and dress," one user informed others in the comments, while another echoed, "This look was intended to look this way." "Pretty sure hair looks like that on purpose. she looks amazing!!!!!! someone else chimed in. "Y'all don't get it," one fan wrote, while another person added in the comments, "She looks great y'all are tripping." Related: Christina Aguilera, 44, Wears Nothing But Leather Lingerie in Racy Photos for Major Career Milestone Christina Aguilera Fans Rush to Her Defense Over Very Edgy New Photos first appeared on Parade on Jul 21, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Motor 1
3 hours ago
- Motor 1
‘I Charge Them More Every Single Time:' Tech Reveals 1 Quality Guaranteed to Make Your Mechanic Hate You
A mechanic who goes by Claw Boss (@reelclawboss) on Instagram shared a customer pet peeve: Asking non-stop questions while he works. And it seems like there are more than a few other folks in the craft who share his mindset. The auto tech's short clip is set to the tune of a song that repeatedly implores a person to 'shut the [expletive] up,' as part of its hook. Pairing this tune with the text overlay in their clip, along with a group of dancing chickens, intones that the service tech isn't a fan of this particular client interaction. 'We all have that one customer. Stands in the shop while you're working on their car and won't stop asking questions,' he captions Commenters Were Divided Folks had differing opinions on the clients they render service to in their respective auto businesses. One person remarked that a patron has the right to ask questions since they're the one paying for their car to be fixed. 'Customer's car, customer's paying,' one said. However, there was another Instagram user who seemed to concur with Claw Boss's commentary on the chatty individuals who roll into his shop. They said, 'Best part of our shop: Only staff allowed in shop.' Another person, who said that they were an auto tech themselves, echoed the aforementioned sentiment. According to them, they've never been employed in an automotive service center that allowed customers to watch the work techs were doing. 'Never in my life have I seen a shop allow customers in the shop,' they penned. 'I be on the other side of the glass like *hey, did you make sure to torq that bolt!? While I smoke my dart and continue to stare. Lol all jokes aside I do enjoy watching and learning.' But this didn't appear to be par the course for all folks getting their cars fixed. One person who got their vehicle's air conditioning system repaired expressed that they were grateful to watch their mechanic fix the issue. Moreover, they said the tech was forthcoming about the work he was completing. 'My mechanic let me watch him do my AC for my truck. I asked a few questions and he didn't mind. He seemed to like that I was trying to learn,' they said. Other Mechanics Sound Off It seems like Claw Boss wasn't the only service tech who took to social media to decry this specific customer behavior. YouTuber Barricade Garage also professed he wasn't too fond of someone looking over his shoulder while he was working on a car. In a caption for his video that touches on this same topic, he writes, 'most mechanics usually want to be left unbothered when working on your vehicle.' Additionally, Redditors in this r/MechanicAdvice post also discussed this same client phenomenon. The thread's original poster wanted to know if it was considered poor manners on his part to watch the tech replace the tires on his vehicle. One person remarked that the practice is 'a touchy subject with a lot of shops,' due to how different customers react to the work being performed on their vehicle. They said that customers might try to nickel-and-dime labor time, not considering that a mechanic who has accrued decades of experiencing fixing problems is able to rectify a problem more quickly than a less experienced tech. Thus, their complaints about inaccurate labor times are invalidated. To drive this point home, they shared an anecdote about a client who went 'ballistic' for being billed for 30 minutes of labor on a muffler replacement. They said the tech swapped out the component in around five minutes and asked why they were charged for 30 minutes of labor instead. Following this, the Reddit user explained to the customer, 'The guy who just put your muffler on has almost 30 years' exhaust experience. And has it down to an art. If I'd known you wanted to wait longer I would have done it myself - I'm a diagnostic tech and really bad at exhaust. It takes me forever,' they wrote. Some Mechanics Don't Mind Watchful Customers Another commenter in the same Reddit thread said it all boils down to the type of person who is watching them perform their work. This user said, 'I don't mind people watching because they are curious.' Although, when they begin to chime in with their own repair strategies, or when they reference other handy people they know, that's when they begin to take issue with sideline commentary. 'Don't call me a liar, and don't bring it to me to fix it if you trust [someone else] so much,' they penned. In this Quora post, some auto techs argued that barring customers from entering the shop area boils down to potential safety concerns. They said that due to heavy machinery, car lifts, and an array of moving parts, clients could be at risk of bodily harm. In order to mitigate these possible incidents from occurring and any legal actions that could be levied against the shop, many service centers will bar folks from watching their cars being worked on. Motor1 has reached out to the Claw Boss via Instagram direct message for further comment. Now Trending 'That's Exactly Why:' Florida Driver Gets Stuck Behind Toyota That Won't Turn on Green Light. She Says It's an Insurance Scam 'Don't Feel Comfortable Allowing You:' Colorado Woman Tells Discount Tire She Can't Afford Tires. Their Reply Is Shocking Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
