Devotees recently queued up to drink water flowing from the mouth of an elephant sculpture at a famous temple in Mathura Vrindavan, believing it to be ‘Charan Amrit’ or holy water from the feet of Lord Krishna.

Devotees drink AC water at Banke Bihari Mandir

Images from Vrindavan’s famous Banke Bihari Mandir, which have gone viral online, show dozens of devotees drinking water flowing from an elephant sculpture hanging on the wall. Some worshipers used cups to collect the water, while others cupped their palms to obtain a few drops of what they believed to be holy water.

A report published in Jagran said the water flowed from elephant-shaped tubes built into the temple architecture. What devotees believed to be Charan Amrit was actually an AC discharge.

Watch the video below:

In the video taken at the Uttar Pradesh temple, a person filming the video was heard telling some devotees that the water they were drinking was actually air-conditioned water. Despite the warning, several devotees at the temple were seen queuing up to drink water or splash it on themselves.

The reactions

The video went massively viral online, racking up 2.8 million views on X alone.

In the comments section, many viewers questioned the gullibility of the faithful, while others lamented the lack of scientific temperament.

“A mind without scientific character is the birthplace of myths, superstition, hatred and division. This is a threat to democracy and promotes a herd mentality,” one X user wrote.

“Why doesn’t anyone stop for a second and think about what’s going on here?” Such a herd mentality,” another wondered.

The video also prompted a warning from The Liver Doc, who asked his followers not to drink air-conditioned water. “Cooling and air conditioning systems provide a breeding ground for many types of infections, including fungi, some of which are truly hellish,” he writes.

It also reminded viewers of the 2012 Weeping Crucifix incident in Mumbai, where water started pouring from the feet of a statue of the crucified Jesus. Hundreds of worshipers gathered at the site to witness what they believed to be a miracle, until it turned out the water was actually caused by a faulty sewage system.