Hoaxer prompts thousands to seek rare flower

A 'lucky' rare flower which appeared on a tree in western India has turned out to be a hoax made out of shiny cloth.

Thousands of people flocked to catch a glimpse of the flower in Kolhapur, which blossoms once in 12 years.

There is a very strong local belief that a real flower on the umbar tree brings good fortune to anyone who views it.

Disappointment came after religious leaders inspected the flower and discovered it was merely a piece of shiny white cloth.

Police struggled to manage the angry crowds, reports said.

Officers investigating on the source of the hoax have not made any headway so far.