- The video claims Benny Prasad visited 245 countries and territories in six years and six months
- He holds 16 Indian passports filled with stamps and visas from six continents
- Prasad is the fastest person to visit every country, including Antarctica
Benny Prasad, a Bengaluru-born musician, has gone viral after showing off the travel record of a lifetime. He claimed that he has visited 245 countries and territories, with 16 Indian passports stuffed full of stamps and visas to prove it. In an Instagram video, he can be seen flipping through his collection of passports. Pages are yellowed with age and densely packed with entry stamps, visas, and seals from six continents, including Antarctica.
"I'm from India, and I've been to every country in the shortest time... 245 nations, including Antarctica, both sovereign and dependent, in six years, six months, and 22 days," he says in the clip.
In the video, shared by MTP - Most Traveled People, Prasad opened up about the challenges of navigating visa requirements and other paperwork.
"Musician and world traveler Benny Prasad @bennyprasad became the fastest person to visit every country on Earth, completing the journey in just 6 years, 6 months and 22 days," the caption of the video read.
"While performing around the globe he filled 16 passports with visas and stamps."
"For many travelers, planning a trip means just booking a flight. For others it requires a lot more work. And Benny knows that better than anyone else."
Watch the video here:
Social media reaction
The stack of 16 passports has caught attention online as users wonder how much paperwork, waiting, and border-hopping it must have taken for him to chase a record like this. "Gosh, I shudder to think of all the paperwork it would've taken!" one user wrote in the comment section.
"Finally, Travel Legend from India wow respect," another user added.
"He's absolutely awesome and even without visa restrictions, his achievement seems very difficult for me,' a third user.
Who is Benny Prasad?
He is a guitarist and globetrotter. His official website mentions the difficulties and challenges he faced in his life. He was born on August 6, 1975, in Bengaluru, and his birth was celebrated with the highest hopes for his future as he was the first of his generation in the family.
"But his was not a promising start - He suffered from severe asthma, which required him to take cortisone steroids from which he developed rheumatoid arthritis, 60% lung damage and an immune system regularly failing him, which threatens his life even to this day," the official website mentions.
His parents expected him to excel in his studies and tried to drill mathematics and science into him. But all the efforts went in vain. He became depressed and even tried to harm himself at the age of 16.
His life transformed when he eventually inclined towards music. "Today, through his music, Benny brings the Hope In God to thousands of people, travelling to 40 - 50 countries every year," the website states.
"If I could be made useful, anyone in this world can. If my dreams can come true, yours can too. My sin and shame has been exchanged for righteousness and new life by the ALMIGHTY GOD WHO DIED TO SET ME FREE. For those with no hope, there is more to life than what today holds. I thank God that I did not end my life but rather chose to live through shame and failure so that today I'm able to be a blessing to the World. Remember, you are never too bad or sinful for God to redeem and transform," Benny says.
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