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Video of Siyaram Baba Falsely Viral As 188-Year-Old Man Found In Cave
Recently, a video featuring a very old and frail man has been doing rounds online, capturing the attention of viewers around the globe.
The video claims to show a 188-year-old man accidentally found in a cave in India, sparking widespread curiosity and disbelief.
Fact Crescendo received fact-check requests regarding this video clip via our WhatsApp Tipline (9049053770).
It turns out that the viral claim is false. The elderly man in the video is not 188 years old, nor was he found in a cave.
In reality, the man in the clip is Siyaram Baba, a devout follower of the Hindu god Hanuman. Siyaram Baba lives in Madhya Pradesh and is well-known for his spiritual devotion and ascetic lifestyle.
WHAT’S THE CLAIM?
In the viral video, two men help an elderly person walk on the steps.
A user on X (formerly Twitter) received around 35 million views after sharing this clip saying, “This Indian Man has just been found in a cave. It’s alleged he’s 188 years old. Insane.”
Another Twitter/X user claimed that this “man was accidentally found in a cave in India who is claimed to be 188 years old, was extracted from the cave by health officials in a state of skin and bones, with long hair and beard, and was transferred to a hospital for treatment.”
The video was also shared in Turkey, Japan, and Spain.
FACT-CHECK
Performing a Google reverse image search led us to several videos of the same elderly man.
A similar video to the viral clip was uploaded on YouTube on 3 October.
It identified the old man as Siyaram Baba. Taking a clue, we found several news reports about Siyaram Baba.
Who is Siyaram Baba?
Siyaram Baba lives at Bhatyan Ashram in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh.
Fact Crescendo spoke to Shubham Birla (aka Darshu), who manages Siyaram Baba’s social media page.
Birla debunked the viral claims about Siyaram Baba as false.
“Siyaram Baba was not found in any cave. He has been living in our village for more than six decades,” Birla said.
According to Dainik Bhaskar’s report from 2017, Baba was born in Mumbai and studied there until around the 7th or 8th grade. At a young age, he worked as an accountant for a Gujarati moneylender.
During this time, he met a saint and left home to go to the Himalayas for tapasya (meditation and penance). The details of how many years he spent in penance, where he stayed, or who his guru was remain unknown.
He returned and settled in Bhatyan Ashram, situated on the banks of the Narmada River in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, around 1955.
What is the real age of Siyaram Baba?
There are various claims about the age of Siyaram Baba, fuelling speculations about his true age. The inconsistency in his age claims comes from the numerous legends that have grown around him over the years.
Some people say he is 80 years old, while others believe he could be 109.
However, Shubham Birla says that Siyaram Baba’s Aadhaar card, an official government document used for identification in India, states that he is 94 years old. Although, Fact Crescendo could not independently verify this information.
Conclusion
It is clarified that the viral clip does not show any 188-year-old man found in the cave. The man is an Indian devotee Siyaram Baba from Madhya Pradesh. His age is said to be 94 years.
(If you come across any news, videos, or images that seem too good (or bad) to be true, don’t hesitate to send them our way. Our team of fact-checkers will look into it and then share our findings with you. Together, we can fight the spread of fake news and misinformation. Our WhatsApp number is 9049053770. To stay updated, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.)
