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Puja committee to find place in Guinness

The committee tried to beat the present world record of ‘295 people blowing conch shells in the Bahamas in 2013’

Reverberating the ambience with warm, full, and far-carrying tone, 421 conch shells trumpeted in unison at the Bangiya Parishad Gurgaon Puja grounds in Sector 56 on October 17. In a first-ever unique attempt by any Durga Puja Committee, the Bangiya Parishad Gurgaon (BPG) attempted to set a new world record with 421 people, including devotees and volunteers, blowing conch shells or the shell trumpet together, in groups of 50. It continued for almost an hour from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm under the strict supervision of stewards and witnesses. The Committee was committed to beat the present world record of '295 people blowing conch shells together in the Bahamas in 2013'.

Elated at the completion of the activity, Sanjay Banerjee, President of Bangiya Parishad Gurgaon, said, "We are extremely thrilled at the opportunity to come together and attempt to set a new world record in trumpeting conch shells together. While we are waiting for the official

the announcement, I would like to sincerely thank and appreciate all the devotees, volunteers and participants for coming forward and spending their time and energy on making this a success."

"For us, it is beyond just an activity. Conch, also known as 'seashell horn' or 'shell trumpet' is a musical instrument and often called a 'signal' instrument. The ceremonial practice of blowing the conch shell dates back to the ancient times and continues to be a call to the divine announcing the official beginning of a sacred ceremony. However, the tradition is getting lost in modern times," he added.

"Our effort was not just to revive this forgotten tradition but also to serve as a clarion call to seek an end to all negative energy in the world and make it a better place. Pollution has been a huge concern and we pledge to contribute in the best way. Our pandal is eco-friendly and so is our immersion process. We also promoted environment-friendly activities in the pandal area such as banning single-use plastic and segregation of waste. We urge one and all to take small steps and make a difference," he stated.

To enter the event, BPG applied to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for breaking the present record of maximum people blowing the conch shell at one time. After the application was accepted, participants were selected by team leaders after checking their ability to blow the conch shell. As per process of Guinness Book of World Records, an independent Steward oversaw 10 groups of 50 people each blowing conch shells simultaneously and certified the same. Two 'witnesses' supervised the event and submitted evidence on behalf of BPG.

Overall 432 people attempted to blow conch as a part of 10 groups and 421 was certified as successful participants. They are now submitting evidence to Guinness World Record portal using a unique id and application number, the result is expect to come in a couple of days.

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