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A video is being widely shared on social media in which people are seen smashing coconuts on the road.
Those sharing the video claim that the video is from Paris where people are breaking coconuts in preparation for the Olympic Games in 2024.
The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially branded as Paris 2024, is an upcoming international multi-sports event scheduled from July 26 to August 11 this year in France.
A social media user shared the video with the caption, “Paris is almost ready for the 2024 Olympic Games. (sic)”
SouthCheck found that the claim was misleading. We found that the video shows Ganesh Chaturthi’s celebrations by the Tamil community in Paris in 2023.
On doing a Google reverse image search of one of the screenshots, we found the same video uploaded by an X handle on August 29, 2023. The video was shared with the caption that the video shows a parade organised by people of the Hindu community in Paris.
Taking the hint, we searched with appropriate keywords and found various photos of the event on the stock photo website Alamy. The captions associated with the images stated that the coconut-breaking ritual was part of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Paris organised by the Ganesh Temple of Paris Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam in August 2023.
A tourist website also covered the event dated August 27, 2023. The image shows an annual event celebrated in France and is conducted by Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam, a Parisian Ganesh temple. As a part of the celebrations, a grand parade was held in the La Chapelle district.
Hence, we ascertain that the viral video is old and is not associated with the opening ceremony of the Olympics in 2024.
