An image of a man in saffron-clad clothes, sitting on a bench, is being shared on social media platforms.
Those sharing have identified the man as Govardhan Peeth's (located in Puri) Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanand, "waiting at Prayagraj railway station," amid the Maha Kumbh Mela.
The post's caption also mentioned that the sage lives a simple life. It further notes Nischalanand's alleged qualifications and reach. The user claimed that space administration agencies and premier institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge have taken his assistance in different matters.
What we found: We ran a Google reverse image search on the image and found older versions of it on social media platforms.
This post on Facebook by user Gopal Sharma from 28 September 2021 noted a similar caption as the recent viral posts.
Similarly, this post on X by user Ratan K Agarwal, also from 2021 notes a similar caption.
Since, we found posts dating back to 2021, it is clear that it is not recent or related to the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
We have reached out to Govardhan Peeth in Puri to know the origins of this photograph and the story will be updated once we get a response.
Nishchalanand at Kumbh 2025: ANI reported his presence at the festival. This video shows the sage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Prayagraj.
Conclusion: An old image has gone viral on social media falsely claiming that it shows Swami Nischalanand at Prayagraj railway station.
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