Guinness Book 2024: Over 60 records from India, rain in Cherrapunji among oldest entry

The most recent release of Guinness World Records showcases 2,638 remarkable achievements from around the globe, with over 60 originating from India. Among these, the entry concerning rainfall in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, stands out as one of the oldest records.

Published in India by Penguin Random House, this edition comprises nine information-packed chapters that span topics like Blue Planet, Aquatic Life, Humans, Recordology, Adventures, History, Science and Technology, Arts and Media, and Sports. Additionally, it includes five special features: Hall of Fame, Young Achievers, Gaming, Explainers, and Bucket List.

Notably, the 2024 edition signifies the culmination of a collaborative effort with the award-winning artist Rod Hunt. According to the publishers, the cover artwork takes readers on a deep-sea voyage to the ocean's depths, thus completing the illustrated Guinness World Records universe.

One of the enduring records involving India pertains to rainfall. On June 15-16, 1995, Cherrapunji, a high-altitude town in Meghalaya, received a staggering 2.493 meters (8 feet 2 inches) of rain over a continuous 48-hour period, as documented in the record book. Although Cherrapunji typically experiences high annual rainfall, this stands as the most extreme 48-hour period on record, validated by the World Meteorological Organisation. Furthermore, for a single calendar month, the record shows 9,300 mm (366 inches) of rainfall at Cherrapunji in July 1861, with the 12-month record also occurring at Cherrapunji, amounting to 26,461 mm (1,041.75 inches) between August 1, 1860, and July 31, 1861.

During the same time frame, from August 1, 1860, to July 31, 1861, Cherrapunji received a total of 26,470 mm (1,042 inches) of rainfall, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

A record that has stood since 1937 is "Jalakanyaka" (or Mermaid) by the Indian sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman. This sculpture, the largest of its kind globally, depicts a merperson reclining in a shell-shaped pool at Shankumugham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It measures 26.5 meters (87 feet) in length and 7.6 meters (25 feet) in height, with the shell itself stretching about 32 meters (105 feet).

Another remarkable record is held by Saloo Choudhury and his wife Neena Choudhury, who completed the first and fastest circumnavigation of the earth by car. Their journey, which encompassed six continents and spanned more than an equator's length of driving (24,901 road miles or 40,075 kilometres), took 69 days, 19 hours, and 5 minutes from September 9 to November 17, 1989. They embarked on this adventure in a 1989 Hindustan "Contessa Classic," commencing and concluding their trip to Delhi.

Indian folk musician Thanga Darlong, born on July 20, 1920, received the Padma Shri civilian award on June 4, 2019, at the age of 98 years and 319 days. Hailing from Muruai village in Tripura, Darlong is renowned as the last tribal musician to play the 'rosem,' a flute-like instrument crafted from wood, bamboo, and a traditional water pot used by the Darlong tribe in the state.

Other noteworthy records include Jyoti Amge from Nagpur, recognized as the shortest living woman, measuring 62.8 cm (24.7 inches), and the largest gathering of people born prematurely, which comprised 445 individuals and was achieved by Rainbow Hospitals India, Indian Foundation for Premature Babies, and Abbott Healthcare Pvt. Ltd at the Park Hyatt in Hyderabad on November 17, 2016.

The title of the current longest-running sitcom on TV, in terms of episode count, belongs to "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah" on SAB TV, which had aired 3,500 episodes as of July 2, 2022.

The world's largest, tallest, and most expensive private house is Antilia, a 27-story personal skyscraper belonging to businessman Mukesh Ambani.

Among the 1,154 sites recognized by UNESCO, the Taj Mahal in Agra ranks as the most searched-for World Heritage Site, accumulating 1.4 million searches in March 2022, as reported by Zitango Travel in April 2022.

Additional remarkable records include those set by individuals like J Jessica of Tamil Nadu (most rotations of a hula hoop on one foot in a headstand position in one minute), Rooba Ganesan (longest time to hold the mermaid yoga pose at 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 5 seconds), Aditya Pacholi of Madhya Pradesh (largest turban at 345.25 meters), and Guinness Rishi (most flags tattooed on the body at 366).

According to Craig Glenday, the edition's editor-in-chief, "The GWR 2024 edition is the end product of a year in which nearly 30,000 applications were reviewed by our records managers. Only a small percentage of claims have made it through the selection process, so the 2,638 records featured in the book really are the cream of this year's crop.”

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