1.6 lakh singers in Hyd set new world record

A whopping 1.6 lakh people sang in chorus seven kirtans, or hymns in praise of god, of Telugu saint-poet Thallapaka Annamacharya yesterday evening, and broke a 70-year-old world record.
A representative of the Guinness Book of World Records announced that the previous record is broken at the grand spiritual musical event, organised to mark the 601st birth anniversary of Annamacharya.

"I have great pleasure in announcing that more than 70 years later the record has been broken," said Guinness Book representative Raymond Marshal amid thunderous applause at the sprawling Parade Grounds in Secunderabad.

He also presented the certificate from Guinness Book of World Records to state Minister for Finance K Rosaiah.

It was on August 2, 1937, that 60,000 people sang the national anthem in Germany to set the world record.

The programme, Laksha Gala Sankirthanarchana, was organised jointly by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the Andhra Pradesh state cultural council and Andhra Silicon. The organisers said 1.6 lakh people sang the kirtans in one voice.

Renowned Carnatic musician M Balamurali Krishna, singer Kavitha Krishnamurthy and her husband L Subramanyam and Garimella Balakrishna Prasad led the singers, both professionals and amateurs. Telugu actor Nagarjuna was also present.

Annamacharya, who was born in 1408, composed 32,000 Sankeerthans eulogising Lord Venkateswara.