Gujarat sets 6 Guinness records in golden jubilee year

Gujarat is in a festive mood and celebrating its golden jubilee. Oscar winner AR Rahman lent the musical score to the event theme `Aage Kadam`.

Gandhinagar: Gujarat has made it to the Guinness World Records with as many as six entries during the state`s year-long golden jubilee celebrations, according to government spokespersons.

Ministers Jay Narayan Vyas and Saurabh Patel Tuesday described the feat as recognition of the state`s unique identity in different activities held with people`s participation. The cultural programme held at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad May 1, 2011 with 4,500 artistes at a single venue was entered as the world`s biggest dance and music programme. Oscar winner AR Rahman lent the musical score to the event theme `Aage Kadam`. The assembly of over 20,000 chess players at the Gujarat University ground in Ahmedabad under the aegis of Sports Authority of Gujarat Dec 24, 2010, also entered the Guinness Records. Classical vocalist Dhari `Panchamda` got the Guinness certificate for setting a world record of singing continuously during Tana Riri Music Festival at Vadnagar in north Gujarat for 101 hours and 23 minutes Nov 11-15, 2010. She also won two other Guinness certificates for creating world record of presenting 214 ragas (tunes) and 271 "bandish" (musical compositions) at a time during Akhand Swargan Mahayajna at the Tana Riri Music Festival, and for creating a world record of playing non-stop a self-composed composition of 29 ragas on the santoor from April 26 to 27, 2011. The Ahmedabad-based Tabla Training Centre run by Munjal Mehta won the certificate for a unique feat of 315 percussionists simultaneously playing tabla April 29, 2011, according to the state government spokespersons. IANS