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Was Bill Gates at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj? Here's the truth behind viral video

Jan 17, 2025 08:54 AM IST

A video claiming to show Bill Gates at the Mahakumbh Mela has been debunked. The footage is old, circulating since December 2024. 

The Mahakumbh Mela kicked off in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on January 13, bringing crores of devotees to the site of the Sangam - the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mystical Saraswati rivers. Mahakumbh, the world’s largest religious gathering, will see hundreds of high profile names visiting Prayagraj. However, a video that has created particularly strong interest online appears to show Bill Gates at the festival.

A viral video claims to show Bill Gates at Mahakumbh. Here's the truth
A viral video claims to show Bill Gates at Mahakumbh. Here's the truth

Is Bill Gates actually visiting Mahakumbh? The short answer is no.

The video in question is an old one. It has been circulating on social media since at least December 2024, when it was shared online with claims that Bill Gates was filmed in the holy city of Kashi.

In reality, there is little evidence to suggest that the billionaire founder of Microsoft visited either Kashi or Prayagraj. Instead, all evidence points to the fact that the person in the video just happens to bear a striking resemblance to Gates.

Bill Gates at Mahakumbh?

The video that purportedly shows Bill Gates at the Mahakumbh was shared online by hundreds of people, including Instagram accounts followed by millions of users.

However, digging a little deeper reveals that the video has been circulating online since December, well before the Mahakumbh Mela began.

Moreover, Gates has not shared any indications on social media that he is in India. This in itself would be strange if he were actually visiting Mahakumbh, as the billionaire is known to document and publicise his trips abroad. When Gates visited India last year, his movements were closely tracked.

Gates’s absence from the Mahakumbh does not, however, mean that the religious gathering has not seen its fair share of high profile visitors. Most prominent among them was Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who on Sunday participated in a ceremony to honour a spiritual leader at the Mahakumbh.

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