Fact Check: Viral video of Virat Kohli attending Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony – Real or Fake?

The highly anticipated Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir was successfully held on Monday, January 22 in the holy city of Ayodhya. The sacred event was attended by numerous celebrities who had received personal invitations to be part of the momentous occasion of Ram Lalla’s (child Lord Ram) homecoming.

While many eminent personalities travelled to Ayodhya to join the celebrations, the absence of star India batter Virat Kohli made headlines. However, a day after the incident, a video of Kohli attending the event has been gaining traction on social media. In the viral video, the former India captain can be seen wearing a black kurta as he walks into a ceremony surrounded by security personnel and some people.

An X user posted the video claiming it to be from the Ram Mandir’s consecration ceremony. Along with the video, an image from a local newspaper has been also going viral which states that Kohli attended the event and the page has the photographs of the star cricketer along with other celebrities such as Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt and the Ambani family from the event.

Also Check: Cricketing fraternity celebrates Ram Mandir's Pran Pratistha Ceremony

While taking a close look at the photographs of all the celebrities, it can be ascertained that they were indeed snapped at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Monday, January 22. However, Kohli’s pic and the video are from his visit to Shiv Sena leader Rahul Kanal’s residence on September 20, 2024. Notably, the star batter had visited Kanal’s house to seek the blessings of Lord Ganpati after Asia Cup 2023.

Hence, after thorough research, we can corroborate the fact that the video which is being presented as Kohli’s visit to Ram Mandir is four months old. On the other hand, the newspaper image seems morphed or the publication mistakenly published an old photograph.

Also Check: Why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma didn't attend Ram Mandir's 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony?

Ravindra Jadeja attended the ceremony with his wife

According to reports, Kohli didn’t attend the event due to some personal reasons due to which he has also withdrawn from the first two Tests against England. Meanwhile, the only member of the current Indian cricket team to be present in Ayodhya on the historic day was all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who was spotted with his wife Rivaba Jadeja. Apart from him, former cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble also graced the event with their presence.