An image of a man covered in garlands is going viral on social media platforms with a claim that it is the real photo of Sai Baba. Through this article let’s fact-check the veracity of the photo.
Claim: Real photo of Sai Baba.
Fact: The image is actually of Ramana Maharshi, a 20th-century Indian sage. This image was clicked on 14 April 1950, after the death of Ramana Maharshi. This image has been published in one of the newsletters of the Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram, which is available on the ashram website. This image has nothing to do with Sai Baba as claimed in the viral post. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral photo actually shows the 20th-century Indian sage Ramana Maharshi, not Sai Baba. A reverse image search of the viral photo led us to a newsletter of the Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram, in which the same image was published. The image was clicked when Ramana Maharshi passed away on 14 April 1950.
The same image is also published on a website that features the timeline of major events in the life of Ramana Maharshi. We can conclude the same with the description associated with the image on the website. It is to be noted that this is not the official website of Ramana Maharishi. On the other hand, the oldest image of Sai Baba can be viewed on the official website of Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi.
To sum it up, an image of deceased Ramana Maharshi passed off as Sai Baba.
