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Most of the time, misleading posts are published on social media, spreading myths and misleading ideas about religious sites, ancient artifacts, and past events. This is a fact-check of a post published with a description about a water system installed by the Chola emperors about 1000 years ago.
Social Media Posts :
A YouTube video was published in English, targeting Indian readers, claiming that ancient South Indian and Sri Lankan civilizations were capable of creating amazing water systems. It stated that an ancient water tap built more than 1,000 years ago by the ancient Chola emperors is still functioning properly.
The same video was published on Facebook, stating that it is a water system in Sigiriya.
Also, photographs of the famous Brihadeeswara Temple located in Thanjavur, the capital of the Chola Empire, and the statue of the Chola emperor Raja Raja located nearby are shown alongside the photograph of the tap, suggesting that this tap is located at the site of the temple, which was built during that period.
Accordingly, we investigated whether this water tap is actually part of the water system, whether it is actually an ancient water system built about 1,000 years ago, and to check its location.
Fact Check:
Upon closer inspection of certain videos and photos posted on social media, we noticed that the term “stone tap” is mentioned in Sinhala (“ගල් කරාමය”) on the water tap.
Accordingly, we investigated this through a keyword search, and it was revealed that this water tap is located in the Sinharaja Aranya Senasana, Suriyakanda. We also came across many photos and videos posted on social media by various people about this water tap from 2024.
Accordingly, we inquired with the Chief Venerable Thero of the Sinharaja Aranya Senasana to further confirm this matter.
Chief Venerable Thero of the Sinharaja Aranya Senasana
Venerable Chandananda Thero stated that he himself initiated the construction of this water tap on 12.01.2023.
The Venerable Thero stated that various people are spreading false information through social media regarding this water tap, which has been admired and respected by many local and foreign tourists for about two years. The Thero mentioned that this false information has been circulated because he couldn’t mention the construction year.
The Venerable Thero also stated that the water tap was made entirely of stone with the help of a machine to cut the stone.
You can refer to the explanation of the Venerable Thero from here.
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Conclusion :
Our investigation shows that the water tap shown in the video, which is being shared as an ancient water system created by the Chola emperors 1000 years ago, is a water tap created by the Chief Venerable Thero of the Sinharaja Aranya Senasana in the Suriyakanda area of Sri Lanka and has been in use since early 2024.
Title:A misleading post stating that a 1000-year-old stone water tap still functions.
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo TeamResult: Misleading
