AI-generated images passed off as photos of 'new' Ayodhya railway station

The construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which has been a source of controversy for several years, is nearing completion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly inaugurate the temple in January, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. As the temple takes its final shape, the transformation of the city of Ayodhya has also garnered some attention online.

What is the claim?

Four images depicting a view of a swanky railway station have been circulating on social media with the claim that they show the Ayodhya Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh.

A user on X (formerly Twitter) shared these images on November 5, stating, “Ayodhya Railway station//Absolutely  Glorious//Jai Shri Ram.” An archived version of this post can be accessed here.

Screenshot of a post with the viral images. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

The images have also been shared on Facebook, with several users claiming that one of the viral images shows the "Ayodhya metro station." One such post reads, “The look of Ayodhya Metro Station has been released!//Jai Shri Ram.”

Screenshot of a post with the viral images. (Source: Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, these images have been generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and do not depict the actual railway station or a ‘metro station’ in Ayodhya.

The images

A reverse image search on one of the viral images led to an X post from October 27, 2023, by a user named ‘The Madhya Pradesh Index.’ The user claimed that the images were created using AI tools and credited “@Amarrz” for these images.

The account (@Amarrrrz) posted these photos on October 27. Logically Facts has contacted @Amarrrrz for more information on the images. This article will be updated if and when we receive a response.

An X user named "@MohitGr4," whose account has now been deleted, claimed to have created one of the viral AI images that shows the escalator. According to a fact-check by India Today, @MohitGr4 claimed responsibility for creating the AI-generated image that shows the escalator using the Bing Image Creator tool.

Visible errors in the images

Further, in two of the viral images, we could spot some inconsistencies:

• Station is spelled “Stattion” 

• Ayodhya is spelled “Ayohrya” and “AYORDHANDY” 

Images shared by the X account @Amarrrz show spelling mistakes and other errors. (Source: X/@Amarrrz/Modified by Logically Facts)  

Further, the people seen in one of the viral photos are also visibly AI-generated.

A cropped view of one of the viral images clearly shows that the human figures are not real. (Source: X/@Amarrrz/Modified by Logically Facts) 

While Logically Facts has not independently verified the creator of the images, it is evident that these images are not of the railway station in Ayodhya.

What about the railway station in Ayodhya? 

A report by The Times of India published on November 13, 2023, states that the renovated railway station is expected to be functional from January 2024. According to the daily, Indian Railways is working to complete the redevelopment of the railway station by January 15, 2024. The report notes that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple has inspired the station's architecture. 

A post on X by the Ministry of Railway dated July 20, 2023, carried actual pictures of the Ayodhya Railway Station, but these bear no resemblance to the images circulating on social media.
 

Is there a metro station in Ayodhya?

According to reports from February 2023, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation plans to introduce metro services in Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Mathura. However, checking the UP Metro Rail Corporation's website and social media accounts did not yield any images similar to the viral photos or information about such a metro station in Ayodhya.

The verdict

The viral images have been created using AI image-generation tools and do not depict the Ayodhya railway station. Therefore, this claim has been marked as fake.