The Indian Panorama

Tag: Guinness World Records

  • 19-year-old woman sets record for solo global flight

    19-year-old woman sets record for solo global flight

    Rutherford will find herself in Guinness World Records book after setting the mark that had been held by 30-year-old American aviator Shaesta Waiz

    NEW YORK (TIP): A 19-year-old Belgian-British pilot, Zara Rutherford, set a world record as the youngest woman to fly solo around the world, touching her small airplane down in western Belgium on Thursday — 155 days after she departed. Rutherford will find herself in the Guinness World Records book after setting the mark that had been held by 30-year-old American aviator Shaesta Waiz since 2017. The overall record will remain out of Rutherford’s grasp, since Briton Travis Ludlow set that benchmark last year as an 18-year-old.

    Her global flight in her ultralight Shark plane was supposed to take three months, but relentless bad weather and visa issues kept her grounded sometimes for weeks on end, extending her adventure by about two months. In her trek of more than 52,000 kilometers (28,000 nautical miles), she stopped over in five continents and visited 41 nations.

    “It is an adventure, definitely,” she said.

    (Agencies)

     

  • Guinness World Record: World’s Largest Tennis Ball Logo

    Guinness World Record: World’s Largest Tennis Ball Logo

    Ashok Parulekar

    NEW YORK(TIP): Ashrita Furman holder of the most Guinness Records at the same time (currently over 200) and a team of friends created the world’s largest tennis ball logo within 7 days. The ball composition shows the logo of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, the world’s longest and largest relay run for peace, and has a width of 10.08 metre and a height of 5.30 metre. The sixty-three-year-old health food store manager of New York set this Guinness World Record to honour the 87th birth anniversary of Sri Chinmoy an Indian spiritual master, founder of the Peace Run and an avid tennis player. The 53.42 square metre ball logo consists of 12,393 tennis balls in the colours white, blue, green, orange and red.

    The content is a factually accurate rendering of what it depicts and has not been modified or augmented except for standard cropping and toning.

    Distribution, printing, publishing and archiving of photos and text are free without any rights. Photos taken in New York City by Jowan Gauthier

    The tennis balls were fixed on boards and the other day carried from a backyard down the hill to the birthday anniversary function, where over 900 guests from all over the world celebrated.

    Ashrita Furman states: “This tennis ball logo expresses our sincere wish for world peace and is our modest offering of joy to the world. With thousands of tennis balls, we want to honour the memory of Sri Chinmoy, who was the founder of the Peace Run and an avid tennis player. After the record we will give the tennis balls to people in the neighbourhood.”

    Ashrita Furman has been breaking Guinness World Records since 1979. His first entry in the Guinness Book he achieved by completing 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then he has broken more than 700 records on all seven continents, including building the world’s largest tennis racket, balancing a pool cue on finger for the longest continuous distance (7 miles 220 feet) in front of the pyramids in Egypt, racing against a Yak in Mongolia to set the one-mile sack-racing record and underwater Aqua Pogo for 3 hours 40 minutes in the Amazon River in Peru.

    As a teenager Furman became inspired by Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy of self-transcendence. Indian born Sri Chinmoy also set many records, such as writing 1,301 poems in 24 hours and composing 22,000 songs during his lifetime. Furman attributes his success at breaking records to meditation, which he has practised daily for over 40 years. Meditation helps him to keep his childlike spirit and the mental and physical power which is needed to continuously set new world records. Ashrita Furman started setting Guinness World Records 39 years ago and hasn’t stopped yet. “Going beyond your everyday capacity is such a fulfilling feeling. The day I break a record I’m just happy the whole day,” he says. “I’m trying to show others that our human capacity is unlimited, if we can truly believe in ourselves.” After every record Furman wants to express his gratitude to his Guru Sri Chinmoy.

    For more information please go to www.ashrita.comand srichinmoy.org

    Contact: Ashrita Furman (+1) 646-226 20 22

    or Ashok Parulekar +1 – 917 815 2887

  • WORLD’S LARGEST SAMOSA RECORD SMASHED IN LONDON

    WORLD’S LARGEST SAMOSA RECORD SMASHED IN LONDON

    LONDON (TIP): The world record for the largest samosa was smashed in London on Tuesday by a whopping version of the popular Asian snack weighing in at 153.1 (337.5 pounds) kilogrammes.

    A dozen volunteers from the Muslim Aid UK charity built the giant samosa then deep-fried it in a custom-built vat at an East London Mosque.

    Adjudicators from Guinness World Records were on hand to oversee the process and certify that the mega-samosa passed the required tests.

    The previous record of 110.8 kg was set by Bradford College in northern England in June 2012. The samosa was built on a giant wire mesh, then winched into a vat of cooking oil before being hauled out to be weighed.

    “My heart was beating really fast,” said Farid Islam, 26, the project organiser. “It was very tense. It looked like it was going to slide off. A crack appeared and I feared the worst,” he told AFP.

    Guinness World Records adjudicator Pravin Patel spelled out the rules. “It’s got to be triangular; contain flour, potatoes, onions and peas; be fried, and retain the shape when cooked,” he told AFP. “It’s got to look and feel like a samosa; it’s got to be edible by humans. The critical record is the net weight. Plus it all has to be eaten. No wastage!”

    After the team carefully made the triangle-shaped supersnack, it was hauled up to the industrial winch by the biggest men available and slowly plunged into the vat.

    Once it was winched out, and after the nervy weigh-in, the independent food safety officer, who had overseen proceedings, gave it the taste test. A simple thumbs-up triggered cheers around the hall. It was then down to Patel to tie up all the certification and deliver the verdict: 153.1 kg.

  • World’s oldest man turns 113, readies for Bar Mitzvah

    World’s oldest man turns 113, readies for Bar Mitzvah

    JERUSALEM (TIP): The world’s oldest man turned 113 on sept 15 and the Holocaust survivor living in Israel readied for the Bar Mitzvah he was denied a century ago, his family said.

    Yisrael Kristal, an observant Jew from Zarnow in what is now Poland and currently living in the port city of Haifa, was born on September 15, 1903, three months before the Wright brothers’ first successful powered airplane flight.

    Guinness World Records in March recognized him as the world’s oldest man.

    While he turned 113 on Thursday under the Gregorian calendar, his family will celebrate the birthday at the end of September according to the Hebrew calendar, his daughter Shula Koperstoch told AFP.

    The festivities will include a Bar Mitzvah that will come 100 years late.

    The Bar Mitzvah is one of the most important ceremonies in the life of a Jew.

    Usually marked at 13 for boys and 12 or 13 for girls – a Bat Mitzvah in that case – it marks the transition into someone responsible for their actions.

    Kristal was unable to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah in 1916 because his mother had died three months earlier and his father was a soldier in the Russian army at the time of World War I.

    “My father is religious and has prayed every morning for 100 years, but he has never had his Bar Mitzvah,” his daughter said.

    Around 100 family members will attend, with the date and location being kept secret to avoid Kristal having to contend with a crush of journalists, she said.

    Asked about his health, Koperstoch said only: “He is ageing.” After World War I, Kristal moved to Lodz where he worked in the family confectionery factory, married and had two children.

    But his life was disrupted when the Jewish quarter of the city became a ghetto under Nazi occupation during World War II and Kristal was sent to the infamous Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

  • Guinness World Record for bearded woman Harnaam Kaur

    Guinness World Record for bearded woman Harnaam Kaur

    SLOUGH, UK (TIP): A model with six-inch long facial hair has become the youngest woman in the world to have a full beard, according to the Guinness World Records.

    Body positivity campaigner Harnaam Kaur, 24, from Slough, Berkshire, United Kingdom said it was “humbling” to be included.

    She described her beard as part of her quest to overcome years of bullying to cope with her appearance.

    “I’m confident and I love myself,” said Kaur to BBC Asia back in 2014.

    In March 2016 she became the first female with a beard to walk the runway at London Fashion Week.

    Ms Kaur has polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal condition that can result in the growth of excess facial hair, and was 11 when a beard started to appear on her face and the hair quickly spread to her chest and arms.

    The condition made her the victim of bullying, she said: “All through secondary school I was bullied by I would say the whole school. “It was absolutely horrible. I hated waking up.”

    HARNAAM, WHO SAYS SHE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM HER YOUNGER BROTHER AND FRIENDS, STOPPED USING HER RAZOR FOR GOOD AFTER BEING BAPTISED AS A SIKH AT 16.

    She said that her religion has given her a lot more confidence.

    “I think I had finally found myself in my natural form.

    The practice of allowing hair to grow naturally, without cutting it, is seen as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God’s creation.

  • SONAKSHI ENTERS HER NAME IN GUINNESS BOOK

    SONAKSHI ENTERS HER NAME IN GUINNESS BOOK

    Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha entered the Guinness Book of World Records on International Women’s Day yesterday and got the title of ‘Most people painting their fingernails simultaneously.’

    Talking about her achievement, the 28-year-old actress said in a press conference, “As a kid, I used to wait for the Guinness Book of World Records to come and use to think if I would get my name into it someday and I feel today’s day is so special as I was a able to be a part of this prestigious book along with such wonderful ladies and it feels great.”

    Further, talking about women empowerment, the ‘Dabangg’ star said, “A lot of women have started voicing their thoughts today and that is the biggest step one can take for women empowerment and I believe that there is nothing better than women empowering women and if we support each other than no one can stop women from growing.” Sonakshi will be next seen in A R Murugadoss’ directorial ‘Akira’ and John Abraham starrer ‘Force 2.

  • Amritsar in Guinness Book of World records for hosting ‘largest bollywood dance performance’

    Amritsar in Guinness Book of World records for hosting ‘largest bollywood dance performance’

    An offbeat message against drugs delivered through a dance performance by 8,726 students from 40 schools has earned Amritsar a place in Guinness Book of World Records, district officials said today.

    The district administration has received a communique in this regard from the Records Management Team of Guinness World Records office stating that the ‘largest bollywood dance performance’ of students held at Khalsa College here has secured the city title of Guinness World Records.

    Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat today announced that the mass gathering of students to dance to a Bollywood number with a view to spreading message against drugs and its ill effects has brought laurels to the city.

    He said that the performance of students attired in the same dress, on October 3, 2015 for an anti-drugs awareness campaign has added another feather to the cap of holy city.

    Elaborating on the performance, Bhagat said the school students danced to the popular Bollywood song “India Wale” to spread a message against drugs.

    Intimation in this regard has been received by the administration, he said.

    Bhagat also noted that the performance created a new record by beating the earlier feat by 4428 students in Mumbai in the year 2012.

  • Talented US dog holds two Guinness World Records titles

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A talented pooch in the US holds two wacky Guinness World Records titles: the fastest 100m with a can balanced on the head by a dog and the most steps walked down by a dog while balancing a glass of water.

    Sweet Pea – an Australian Shepherd and Border collie cross – has incredible balancing skills, and travelled 100m with a can skilfully balanced on top of her head, crossing the finish line in just 2 minutes 55 seconds.

    The canine’s feat has secured her a Guinness World Records title for the fastest 100m with a can balanced on the head by a dog.

    The successful record attempt took place in 2008, at the college of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois, with Sweet Pea’s owner, Alex Rothaker beckoning his pet to the finish line, Guinness World Records has said.

    Sweet Pea also has the record for the most steps walked down by a dog facing forward while balancing a glass of water, which she achieved with 10 perfectly placed steps. She can also walk up 10 steps with a glass of water on her head.

  • World’s oldest person celebrates 117th birthday in Japan

    World’s oldest person celebrates 117th birthday in Japan

    TOKYO (TIP): The world’s oldest person says 117 years doesn’t seem like such a long time.

    Misao Okawa, the daughter of a kimono maker, made the comment on Wednesday, at a celebration a day before her 117th birthday. Appropriately, she was wearing a pink kimono decorated with cherry blossom prints.

    Okawa, born in Osaka on March 5, 1898, was recognized as the world’s oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013.

    “It seemed rather short,” she said after Osaka government official Takehiro Ogura, who brought her a big bouquet, asked how she felt about living for 117 years.

    Okawa, her hair decorated with a pink daisy pin, looked up from her wheelchair and said she was “very happy” to be that age.

    Asked for the secret of her longevity, she responded nonchalantly, “I wonder about that too.”

    Japan has the most centenarians in the world, with more than 58,000, according to the government. About 87 per cent of them are women.

    Okawa has slowed down in recent months and is having trouble hearing, but she still eats well and is in good health, according to her Osaka nursing home, where Wednesday’s televised celebration was held.

    Okawa married her husband, Yukio, in 1919, and they had three children —two daughters and a son. She now has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1931.

  • Woman, 116, Listed as ‘World’s Oldest’ Dies in US

    Woman, 116, Listed as ‘World’s Oldest’ Dies in US

    MONROE, GEORGIA (TIP): The woman who was listed as the world’s oldest person died Tuesday in a Georgia nursing home at age 116. Besse Cooper died peacefully on Tuesday afternoon in Monroe, according to her son Sidney Cooper. Monroe is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Atlanta. Cooper said his mother had been ill recently with a stomach virus, then felt better on Monday.

    On Tuesday he said she had her hair set and watched a Christmas video, but later had trouble breathing. She was put on oxygen in her room and died there about 2pm, Cooper said. “With her hair fixed it looked like she was ready to go,” he said. Besse Cooper was declared the world’s oldest person in January 2011. In May 2011, Guinness World Records learned that Maria Gomes Valentin of Brazil was 48 days older. Valentin died the next month. “It’s a sad day for me,” said Robert Young, Guinness senior consultant for gerontology.

    He recalls meeting Cooper when she was 111 and took note of her mental agility. “At that age she was doing really well, she was able to read books,” Young said. Last year on Cooper’s 115th birthday, she celebrated with friends and relatives, enjoyed two small slivers of birthday cake and was serenaded by a musician from Nashville who sang “Tennessee Waltz.” Sidney Cooper said his family will likely hold a funeral for his mother later this week. Besse Cooper was the first Georgian to hold the world record.

    She was born in Tennessee and moved to Georgia during World War I to look for work as a teacher. The title of world’s oldest person now belongs to 115- year-old Dina Manfredini, of Johnston, Iowa, Young said. The oldest known person of all time was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to be 122 years old and died in 1997.

  • Sri Chinmoy’s 81st Birth Anniversary Commemorated with World’s largest Tennis Racket

    Sri Chinmoy’s 81st Birth Anniversary Commemorated with World’s largest Tennis Racket

    Ashrita Furman, holder of the most Guinness records and a team of 20 disciples of Sri Chinmoy constructed the world’s largest (Sri Chinmoy birthday) Tennis Racket within ten days. Furman dedicated the racket to Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007), who would have been 81 on August 27th. A world peace dreamer and an avid tennis player Sri Chinmoy taught Furman meditation and inspired him for self-transcendence.

    For every birthday Furman wants to give “Gurudakshina” or a birthday gift to his Guru and joy to many in the form of a new significant Guinness World Record. Some of the previous records included world’s largest pencil (72 feet long), world’s largest lollipop.

    The old fashioned wood racket has a height of 50 feet (15.24 meters) and width of 16 feet (4.87 m.). It is a reproduction of the model named after legend Billie Jean King. Sri Chinmoy and President Michael Gorbachev presented together the World Athlete award to Billie Jean King in 2006. Sri Chinmoy met and played with many tennis players and had a close friendship with some of them such as India’s Leander Paes.

    Sri Chinmoy made many self-transcendence activities such as writing 1600 books, composing 21000 songs, drawing thousands of paintings in his lifetime and some short time records such as writing 700 poems in 24 hours. Inspired by his Guru, Furman started making Guinness World Records becoming No. 1 in the world. At present he has 151 world records to his credit. Furman says, “I am trying to show others that our human capacity is unlimited”. Furman has taken India’s ancient message ‘ Aham Brahmasmi (I am unlimited) to his heart.