Fact Check: Picture of Lord Ram was NOT displayed at Times Square; here's the truth

Ahead of foundation laying ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a picture of Times Square with images of Lord Ram displayed across giant billboards is being shared on social media.
The post dated August 2, 2020, claims that the viral picture was taken ‘yesterday’ i.e. August 1, 2020.
“Calendar kitsch at Times Square, New York, yesterday. Sanghis reducing Hinduism to the only status they know – as a low fascist spectacle…” the post claims.

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FACT CHECK

NewsMobile fact checked the post and found the image to be morphed.
The first thing we noticed in the viral image was that the text on some of the posters was inverted, which raised the first red flag.

We then flipped the picture and ran it through Reverse Image Search. The search result led us to several websites where the original picture was on sale.

The description of the picture stated that the picture was clicked by Jose Fuste Raga.

Fake picture (flipped) Vs original picture

The above collage proves that the two pictures are the same and images of Lord Ram was superimposed in the original picture.
We also found reports suggesting that images of Hindu deity Ram and 3-D portraits of the temple to be constructed in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya will be displayed at Times Square on August 5.
Another article published in the Scroll states that twenty organisations and several individuals in the United States have collectively written a letter to New York Mayor opposing the move.
While it remains to see if images of Lord Ram and 3D portraits of the temple will be displayed at Times Square on August 5, 2020, but the above fact check proves that the picture in circulation is false.