As the Maha Kumbh Mela started on January 13, 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, saints and sages are arriving across the country. Amidst this, a video of a sadhu lying on burning wood has gone viral on social media, claiming his presence at the Kumbh.
In the video, the sadhu is seen resting on fire, occasionally shifting positions and brushing smoke away, seemingly unharmed by the flames. Viewers also notice his clothes slightly burnt, yet the sadhu himself remains unscathed. As per the claim, this sadhu even intrigued a BBC journalist, who reportedly documented his actions.
The video is shared on Facebook with a caption: संत का अग्नि स्नान हरिद्वार कुम्भ में आये सिद्ध सन्त का गंगा स्नान से पहले अग्नि स्नान करते देख बीबीसी के रिपोर्ट की नींद उड़ गई, जो बीबीसी दिन रात हिन्दू धर्म संस्कृति को अन्य धर्मों के अपेक्षा हमेशा नीचा दिखाता रहा, वही बीबीसी ने कल इसे अपने चेनल पर ब्रॉडकास्ट किया। जय श्री राम (English version: Saint’s fire bath. The BBC reporter lost his sleep after seeing a saint who had come to Haridwar Kumbh taking a fire bath before taking a dip in the Ganga. The same BBC which has been showing Hindu religion and culture as inferior to other religions day and night, broadcasted this on its channel yesterday. Jai Shri Ram)
Here’s the link to the above post. (Archive)
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above claim, and found it to be FALSE.
Searching with relevant keywords, NewsMobile identified a YouTube video uploaded on March 23, 2011, featuring a longer version of the same footage. The description identifies the clip as part of a documentary, titled, The Fire Yogi. This documentary highlights a yogi employing unique breathing techniques to perform such fire-related feats.
Further investigation revealed reports identifying the sadhu as Yogi Rambhav, a resident of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. The yogi claims to have subsisted for years on minimal food and water, including milk and bananas. A 47-minute documentary on Yogi Rambhav, directed by Mike Wasson, was released on October 16, 2007. A DVD of The Fire Yogi is also listed on Amazon, corroborating these details.
Thus, it is confirmed that the viral clip of the sadhu lying on fire is part of a 2007 documentary — The Fire Yogi, and NOT related to the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.