Guinness records mass recital of devotional poem

, Jun 21: Mass recital of 'Njanappana', a devotional poem written by the 16th century Malayalam poet Poonthanam, has found place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The event, attended by a total of 46,660, was organised by the state chapter of the Art of Living Foundation in front of the well-known "Vadakkunnathan" Temple in Thrissur district earlier this year. According to the website of the Guinness World Records, "the most people reading aloud simultaneously at a single location is 46,660 and was organised by the Art Of Living Foundation (India) at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur on February 2, 2014."

The organisers claimed that it was for the first time in the world that a book was being recited by such a number of people together. 'Njanappana' was selected for the recitation to create awareness about its significance among common people, they said. A certificate by the Guinness authorities will be handed over to state Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in a function later, they said.

PTI