New Delhi: Lata Kushwaha had long dreamed of visiting the Amarnath cave shrine in Kashmir. She had fights with her husband over taking her there. But on 12 July, she says, “Bholenath” came to her home in Uttar Pradesh instead. When she opened her refrigerator to fetch ice for her sister, she says she found what she claims was a ‘shivling’.
“My wish to visit Amarnath has come true. Lord Shiva has given me darshan. It’s a miracle. I am still pinching myself,” Kushwaha told ThePrint over the phone.
Now, neighbours and devotees from Hathras and Dadri throng her house in Agra to catch a glimpse of what they believe is a ‘shivling’ inside a freezer. Some offer flowers, others perform prayers. The house hums with bhajans, the ringing of temple bells and the chants of “Har Har Mahadev.”
But the ‘shivling’ in the Kushwaha fridge is melting now, says Lata’s brother Harish.
“My sister’s house is packed with devotees. There’s barely any room to stand. Every time someone arrives, they open the refrigerator for darshan. With the fridge being opened and closed so frequently, the ‘shivling’ has started to melt,” he said excitedly.
Harish, who works as a carpenter, offered 5 kg boondi sweets to the Shiva Lings before distributing it as prasad among the devotees.
Such claims have surfaced in the past as well, where reports of alleged religious symbols or idols appearing in everyday objects have drawn large crowds of devotees. In 2025, a similar incident happened in Chhattisgarh after a family claimed to have spotted a shivling inside their refrigerator.
उत्तर प्रदेश: आगरा एक घर में रखे फ्रिज के अंदर जमी बर्फ का आकार शिवलिंग जैसा दिखाई देने लगा।
यह खबर फैलते ही बड़ी संख्या में श्रद्धालु वहां पहुंच गए।
कई लोग इसे अमरनाथ शिवलिंग से जोड़कर देख रहे हैं। श्रद्धालुओं ने वहां जलाभिषेक किया, पूजा-अर्चना की और श्रद्धा स्वरूप पैसे भी… pic.twitter.com/T3DfMQdw9R
— ʀᴜᴅʜʀᴀ ʏᴀᴅᴀᴠ🇮🇳 (@Rudhrayadav001) July 13, 2026
Coins & flowers for ‘Shivling’
When Kushwaha saw the ice structure, she said she could not believe her eyes. Worried that people would make fun of her, she went to sleep without telling anyone. The next morning, she says, the structure was still intact. That was when she called a neighbour and asked her to take a look. The woman, too, claimed it was indeed a ‘shivling’.
Videos of the ice structure in the refrigerator were recorded and uploaded on social media, further amplifying the alleged occurrence. Soon, word spread and people from different districts began arriving for darshan at her house.
In one of the videos circulating online, people point towards what they say is an “Om” symbol formed on the ‘shivling’. The ice structure was surrounded by coins and flowers.
Several people have commented on the video calling it superstition and asked AI to bust the myth.
“Shiv Ji is now appearing in the fridge. Grok, why are such superstitions rapidly increasing in India?” one such comment reads.
Grok responded saying: “The shape appearing in the fridge is a natural formation of ice. Due to moisture and temperature in the freezer, water can take on such a Shivling-like shape (like a stalagmite). People later began worshiping it by placing coins and flowers. This is not a miracle; it is a physical process. Every unusual clip goes viral on social media, so superstition appears to be on the rise. Scientific curiosity and education are the best response.”
भारत में अब फ्रिज में शिव जी प्रकट हो रहे हैं
@grok भारत में इस तरह के अंधविश्वास और पाखंड तेजी से क्यों बढ़ रहे हैं ? pic.twitter.com/66roZBHWhb
— ShivamSpeaks (@Rationalbahujan) July 14, 2026
But Kushwaha, now an icon in her village, doesn’t care. The crowd at her house is the answer.
“It’s not only me. But the people who are thronging throughout to catch a glimpse. They also believe it’s Shiva,” she said.
(Edited by Stela Dey)