YouTuber gets friend to pose as a beggar in Haridwar. Here's how much he earned

A YouTuber made his friend pose as a beggar at Haridwar's Kawad Mela and ask for money from devotees. Their day's earnings have left social media users stunned.A YouTuber made his friend pose as a beggar at Haridwar's Kawad Mela. (Photos: YouTube/Purshotam Vashisht)A YouTuber’s social experiment at Haridwar’s Kawad Mela had a quest to find out how much a person could make by begging at a major religious gathering. A video of their experience has now gone viral on X as well and left people stunned.The YouTuber Puroshottam Vashisht and his friend Sachin tried to find the answer, with Sachin going undercover as a beggar.The experiment began with Sachin changing his appearance completely and wearing torn clothes, smearing dirt on his face and carrying a small bowl to look like a beggar. He also hung a UPI QR code around his neck before heading into the crowded mela.In the video, the two explained that they expected Sachin to make around Rs 1,000 or Rs 2,000 during the experiment. But, little did they know that the day would turn out very differently. For the first few hours, the earnings were modest. Sachin collected around Rs 130 as he approached devotees, with many responding, “Nahi hai bola na (I told you, I don't have anything).” Others, however, were kind and did help him.As he continued walking through the mela, Sachin began interacting with shopkeepers and vendors. A sunglasses' seller even gifted him a pair, prompting Sachin to jokingly call himself a “professional bhikhari” (professional beggar). Meanwhile, the QR code around his neck also brought in around Rs 40 through digital payments. At one point, Sachin sat beside a real beggar, who told him he did not remember his own name or where he used to live.After four hours, Sachin counted Rs 800. The experiment continued through successful and unsuccessful attempts, with the duo also being chased away by guards. Constant rain and hours of walking made the experience increasingly exhausting.By the end of the experiment, Vashisht and Sachin said they had collected around Rs 4,000. They calculated that someone earning a similar amount every day could make nearly Rs 1.2 lakh in a month.Watch the video here: At the end of the video, the duo also acknowledged that the money came with a physical and mental cost. They described begging as extremely tedious and said maintaining the energy to approach people throughout the day was difficult.They ended the experiment by urging viewers not to take up begging and instead earn through honest work.After the video reached X, users reacted to the earnings, with several expressing surprise at the amount.Some also questioned whether begging at religious and tourist spots has increasingly turned into a livelihood or organised business. Others pointed out that a one-day experiment cannot capture the hardships faced by people who actually depend on begging.- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Aug 20, 2026 12:58 IST