Not BHEL, but a devotee from Bengaluru, Rajendra Prasad, has made the bells for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The Ram Temple in Ayodhya is set to be inaugurated on 22 January, 2024. The construction activities at the temple are in full swing to make it ready before the inauguration. In this context, many videos and pictures are going viral on social media. A video showing metal bells with garlands around them being loaded onto a truck has gone viral with the claim that these bells were crafted by state-owned company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) Tiruchirappalli for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The caption of the video states, “BHEL Trichy has made these bells for Ayodhya temple being despatched”.
Fact Check
We started our investigation by running a Google reverse image search, whose result led us to the same video aired on the official channel of Mojo Story on 25December. The accompanying information states that on 24 December, a truck carrying 42 bells weighing 2 to 2.5 tonnes had left for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Before sending the bells, the priests performed formal pooja following traditional rituals. The people present there raised slogans of Jai Shri Ram with great devotion.
In further search we found a report of The Hindu dated on 14 December. As per the report, total of 42 bells manufactured in Namakkal district for the Ram temple in Ayodhya were sent to Bengaluru after special Puja. Rajendra Prasad, a 69-year-old devotee from Bengaluru, had in November ordered a unit called Andal Molding Works on Mohanur Road in Namakkal district to make 48 bells to be installed in the temple. After the order was completed, the bells were sent to Bengaluru and from there to Ayodhya. The company delivered 42 bells weighing a total of 1,200 kg. Subsequently, a special puja was conducted at the Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple, and the bells were sent to Bengaluru.
The report also cited R. Rajendran, the proprietor of Andal Moulding Works, who stated that Prasad supplied all the materials—silver, copper, and bronze—for crafting the bells. Rajendran added that it took 20 workers a month to produce the 42 bells, and that they are currently in the process of making other 6 bells.
After this we checked by searching keywords on Google. There we did not find any such news in which it was told that BHEL is making bells and bells for Ram temple. We also checked BHEL ‘s website and did not find any such news there either.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found that the claim made along with the viral video to be False. The bells seen in the video for Ayodhya Ram temple are manufactured by Andal Moulding Works in Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, not by BHEL Trichy.
