One of The Art of Living's mottoes has been to strengthen inter-religious & cultural bonds. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar emphasizes on celebrating diversity. And what better way of enjoying diversity than by expressing it through music!
From the enchanting bagpipes of Scotland to the lilting notes of the sitar, music has been a common bond that has helped bridge the divide amongst societies and people. The Art of Living has brought together artists and admirers in numbers so large that they became a remarkable feat in itself.
Presented here are the cultural events that were awarded the Guinness World Records for accomplishing something so grand!
1
9th January, 2013 - Blowing for Peace
The largest horn ensemble consisted of 444 musicians and was achieved by the Art of Living in Kollam, Kerala, India. The 444 musicians all played the C-shaped long Indian horn called the Kombu or Sringa. The performance lasted for 25 minutes.
2
13th November, 2012 - Candles for Peace & Harmony
The most candles lit simultaneously at a single venue is 12,135 and was achieved on Diwali by the Art of Living in Ahmedabad, India.
3
16th May, 2012 - The Bulgarian Bagpipes
The largest bagpipe ensemble was achieved by 333 participants at an event organized by the Art of Living at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria.
4
17th January, 2012 - Taal Ninaad
The largest hand drum ensemble consisted of 1230 people playing tabla drums and was achieved by the Art of Living at Humbarwadi Estate, Solapur, India.
5
21st February, 2011 - Abhanga Naad
The largest dhol drum ensemble was achieved by 1,356 participants in an event organised by the Art of Living at Shivaji University Ground, Kolhapur, India. (Duration: approx. 23 minutes)
6
12th February, 2011 - Naatya Vismayam
The largest Kathakali dance was achieved by 150 participants at an event organised by the Art of Living at Putharikkandam Grounds in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. (Duration: 2 performances of approx. 20 minutes each)
7
30th January, 2011 - Naada Vaibhavam
The largest choir consisted of 121,440 people and was organised by the Art of Living in Perungalathur, Chennai, India.
8
11 November 2010 - Mehran De Rang
The largest bhangra dance included 2,100 participants and was achieved by the Art of Living at the Punjab Agricultural University Campus, Ludhiana, India. (Duration: approx. 15 minutes)
9
2nd November 2010 - Annam Brahma
The largest vegetarian buffet consisted of 5612 different dishes in an event organised by the Art of Living at Sri Sri Dham, Ahmedabad, India.
10
12th January, 2010 - Antarnaad
The record for the largest simultaneous sing-along was organized by the Art of Living and involved 1,04,637 participants singing 'Vande Mataram' at Antarnaad in Pune, India. (Duration: over 5 minutes)
11
21st November 2008 - Brahm Naad
The largest sitar ensemble consisted of 1,094 participants at an event organised by the Art of Living in Noida, Delhi, India. (Duration: 3 symphonies of approx. 7 minutes each)
12
28th November 2006 - Mohiniyattam
The most people performing a Mohiniyattam dance was 1,200 as part of the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Art of Living at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Cochin, Kerala, India. (Duration: approx. 12 minutes)
