A content creator's unusual "social experiment" in Rishikesh has gone viral after he claimed to have earned more than ₹2,300 in just a few hours with almost no initial investment. The video has sparked curiosity online, with many viewers surprised by both the idea and the outcome.
The creator, who goes by the name Tanee Thakur on social media, documented the entire experiment, showing how he walked around the holy town applying tilak to people before eventually collecting voluntary payments from many of them. The clip has since crossed four million views.
How the experiment began
Thakur began the experiment by dressing in what he described as a "traditional outfit" before heading out onto the streets of Rishikesh carrying a plate of tilak.
The video shows him approaching passers-by and offering to apply tilak to their foreheads. While several people declined, others agreed.
"So I put on this traditional outfit and stepped out on the streets of Rishikesh to apply tilak. People are literally refusing to get one. And in the first one hour I'm only able to apply tilak to 20 people," he said.
The video does not clearly show whether Thakur expected payment in return for applying the tilak. He is not seen asking people for money, and after the first few interactions, there are no banknotes visible on his plate.
What changed at the Ganga Aarti
According to Thakur, the experiment took a different turn once he reached the ghat during the Ganga Aarti.
He admitted that after the slow start, he thought the experiment would earn him only around ₹50 or ₹60.
"But then during the time of Ganga aarti, I head to the ghat and everything changes," he said.
During the aarti, many more people agreed to have tilak applied. Several handed him ₹10 or ₹20, while some even gave him ₹100. Thakur suggested that they may have believed he was a genuine godman.
"In just 3 hours, I end up applying tilak to nearly 400 people," he said.
How much he earned
By the end of the three-hour experiment, he claimed to have collected ₹2,350 from strangers in Rishikesh.
"If we calculate for a month, it's around ₹70,000," he added, arguing that someone working for around three hours a day could potentially earn that amount in the city.
Social media reactions
The unusual experiment quickly gained traction on social media, where the video has been viewed more than four million times.
One user joked, "How to apply for this internship."
"Next summer internship plan," another commented.
Others took a more critical view.
"Religion is a business," one Instagram user wrote.
"The best business you can do is business of religion," another agreed.
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