Claim
Rating
Explanation
An image of traffic on Manali roads is shared widely on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with the claim that the image of traffic is due to the Christmas and New year holidays. Posts carrying this image can be seen here, here, here, and here.
What is the truth?
When searching the image with Google lens, no relevant result was yielded. We ran a keyword search on Instagram and Facebook and found that the viral image is not recent. An Instagram page ‘Travel Menu’ posted the viral image on 10, July 2022 with the caption ‘nothing much here, just and normal day in Manali’. Photo credit was given to another page named ‘theyashhanda’. The watermark on the image also carries the same name.
A Facebook page ‘I love Kullu Manali’ posted the viral image on 5, July 2022 with the caption ‘Manali roads nowadays’ and the photo credit was given to ‘theyashhanda’.
The Instagram page ‘theyashhanda’ posted the image on 27, January 2022.
View this post on Instagram
When searching for the news on traffic in Manali, we found that a large number of tourists entered Manali to celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays. The Times of India reported that over 10k vehicles crossed the Atal tunnel in 24 hours. More than 20k tourists entered Lahaul valley through the Atal tunnel.
Conclusion
Though the claim that Manali road was choked with heavy traffic due to the Christmas and New Year holidays is true, the image used is not recent but an old one.
