YouTuber poses as beggar at Haridwar Kawad Mela and earns Rs4,000 in just 8 hours

YouTuber Puroshottam Vashisht and his companion Sachin staged an unusual experiment at the Haridwar Kawad Mela, pretending Vashisht was a beggar and collecting roughly Rs4,000 within eight hours. The duo ventured to the religious gathering in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, to assess how much they could raise by soliciting donations from pilgrims and visitors. Vashisht filmed the experience and later posted it online, sparking debate on social media about the amount he received and why people chose to give him money.

The experiment took place during the annual Kanwar Yatra, when thousands of devotees travel to Haridwar to collect holy water from the Ganga. The crowded pilgrimage created an ideal backdrop for Vashisht and Sachin to observe people's reactions to someone posing as a beggar. During the eight-hour period, Sachin sat beside an actual beggar, who revealed he had forgotten his name and former life.

Although some people treated the YouTuber kindly, others abused him. Vashisht and Sachin ultimately managed to gather around Rs4,000 (Dh196), which, if earned daily, could amount to nearly Rs1.2 lakh (Dh5,900) per month. However, they emphasized that the experiment was physically and mentally taxing due to the constant need to approach strangers throughout the day.

The video garnered mixed reactions, with some viewers praising its insights into charitable giving at major religious events, while others questioned the ethics of posing as a beggar for online content.

The eight-hour experiment has become a hot topic on social media, drawing attention to both the generosity of pilgrims and the debate over the appropriateness of turning such experiences into social media content. The video also prompted criticism on platforms, with some users highlighting the "easy ways" to earn money and others pointing out that beggars don't pay income tax, as their earnings depend on their performance.