Who Is 'Pankha Baba' Aka 'Laddu Mutya', And Why Has He Gone Viral? | WATCH

A video featuring a specially-abled baba has grabbed eyeballs on social media. The video shows him stopping a ceiling fan with bare hand.

The now-viral clips also have the song 'Laddu Muttya' playing in the background. As the video spread, people began recreating it and dancing to the 'Laddu Mutya' song. However, the pressing question remains - who is the baba appearing in these popular Instagram reels?

Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/laddu.muttya_1008/

Before introducing the viral 'Pankha Baba', let's look at the viral video itself.

In the footage, a group of people can be seen lifting the baba, who is seated in a chair, enabling him to reach the ceiling fan. As the clip progresses, he touches the fan multiple times before finally bringing it to a halt.

He then blesses the devotees who assisted him by rubbing the dust from the fan onto their foreheads. Once the devotees lower him back down, the fan resumes spinning. Throughout, a song dedicated to him plays in the background.

Who is Laddu Mutya, also known as Pankha Baba?

Laddu Mutya, who was specially-abled, is said to have run away from home to avoid an arranged marriage. He arrived in Karnataka's Bagalkote on a truck.

Over the following 20 years, he survived on "Bhiksha" (alms) and endured a life of hardship. Despite his struggles, it was believed that prosperity followed him wherever he went. If he visited someone's house, they would experience financial benefits; if he stopped at a shop, the business would thrive.

This led people to believe he had miraculous powers, and they began referring to him as "Laddu Mutya," a name that became well-known as stories of his influence spread throughout the region.

Reportedly, Laddu Mutya passed away in 1993, after which temples were erected in his honour in Bagalkote, where he is venerated as a spiritual figure. The man featured in the viral reels is not the late Laddu Mutya himself, but song played in the background has given him the new-found fame.