Nepal flood photos show sculptures, not ancient fossils
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After heavy rains caused flooding in Nepal on August 26, images circulated online claiming to show massive, million-year-old ammonite fossils unearthed by the water.
The photos depicted large stone structures identified as shaligrams, fossils considered sacred in Hinduism. These images spread with claims that the recent floods had revealed the largest shaligrams ever discovered near Muktinath. However, fact-checkers determined the structures are not natural fossils.
Nepal Academy of Fine Arts confirmed the images actually show sculptures created by artists in Jomsom, a town in the Mustang region. Over thirty artists participated in a workshop from April 20 to May 4, 2026, months before the floods, crafting statues from rocks collected near the Kali Gandaki river. The sculptures include depictions of Buddhist and Hindu deities and Himalayan animals. The largest sculpture measures 6.7 meters tall and was intended as a religious tourist attraction.
Jomsom is located far from the areas most impacted by the floods, and local authorities confirmed the images show the workshop’s creations, not newly discovered fossils.
