Footage of 'world's largest statue of Hindu deity' is AI-generated

"World's largest Ganpati statue in Chennai," reads a Facebook post shared on August 28, 2025.

Ganpati or Ganesha is an elephant-headed deity revered in the Hindu-majority India (archived link).

It also shares a 51-second clip showing men making a huge idol of Ganesha from clay. 

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on September 1, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The clip circulated in similar posts on Facebook, X, Instagram and Threads as a ten-day celebration that commemorates Ganesha's arrival on earth began on August 26.

Festivities are held in India and Nepal, and its date varies based on the Hindu lunar calendar (archived link).

A keyword search with the watermark "Hoohoocreations80" seen on the false Facebook post found the same clip shared on an Instagram account of the same name on August 23, 2025 (archived link).

Its owner told AFP the clip was made with AI tools.

"The video was entirely created in AI. It was created by me using tools like ChatGPT and Kling. It's not real," the content creator told AFP on September 1. 

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Screenshot comparison of the clip shared in false posts (L) and the video posted on Instagram

The video also shows visual inconsistencies such as unnatural strokes of hands -- signs that it was created with AI.

The account also says it specialises in "AI-driven creativity", and has repeatedly uploaded similar clips.

The tallest statue of Ganesha stands at 39 metres high and is crafted in bronze. It's installed at Khlong Khuean Ganesh International Park in Thailand (archived link).

AFP has previously debunked false claims sharing fabricated content created with AI here.

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