An Instagram video featuring Indian musician and world traveller Benny Prasad has gone viral, drawing attention to his record-breaking journey across 245 countries and territories and the challenges of travelling on an Indian passport.
The video shared by travel platform Most Traveled People, features reflecting on the years he spent travelling across the globe. The accompanying Instagram post describes him as the fastest person to visit every country on earth. In the video, however, Prasad says that he has travelled to 245 countries and territories, including Antarctica, in six years, six months and 22 days in 2010. According to his official website, the achievement was recognised by the World Records Academy.
The video has also prompted widespread admiration online, with many users saying the achievement was even more remarkable because it involved travelling on an Indian passport, which required repeated visa applications and extensive paperwork.
‘Travelling meant much more than booking a flight’
Holding up his passports, which he used on his journey, Prasad explained that visiting hundreds of destinations required years of planning, visa applications and immigration facilities.
“So, this is my passport, I am from India, and I became the fastest Indian to visit every country in the world,” he said in a video.
Prasad mentioned that travelling on an Indian passport meant obtaining visas from many countries, leading to extensive paperwork and countless immigration stamps over the course of his travels.
The Instagram post notes that Prasad eventually filed 16 passports with visas and immigration stamps while travelling across the world.
Who is Benny Prasad?
As per Prasad’s official website, he was born in Bengaluru on August 6, 1975, and faced several health challenges during his childhood. He had severe asthma that later contributed to rheumatoid arthritis, lung damage, and a weakened immune system.
His website also mentions that he struggled academically and experienced depression during his teenage years, at one point thinking of suicide at the age of 16. Prasad says attending a Christian youth retreat marked a turning point in his life and inspired him to pursue music.
He later built an international career as a musician and motivational speaker, designing the Bongo Guitar and a 54-string instrument called the Bentar. His website mentions that he has performed at events associated with the 2004 Olympics Games and the 2006 FIFA World Cup and continues travelling internationally through his music and motivational programmes.
Social media celebrates the milestone
The video prompted many viewers to applaud not only the travel record but also the determination behind it.
“A history book instead,” one Instagram user mentioned.
Another wrote, “Holding this record on an Indian passport is no mean feat.”
Others highlighted the scale of the journey, with one user commenting, “I wish we all could travel like this.”
Another described Prasad “ a legend” after pointing out that he had filled 16 passports, whereas one user posted, “He did not just survive life, he LIVED life.”
The renewed attention has once again brought the spotlight back on Prasad’s remarkable journey, one that combined years of international travel, visa planning and the determination to achieve a globally recognised travel milestone.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is based on a viral social media discussion and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only.