Gujarat: Over 3.5 lakh people sing national anthem, set new world record

Rajkot: Over 3.5 lakh people set a new world record on Saturday by singing the national anthem at an event in Rajkot’s district Kagvad.

The event happened at the installation of an idol of goddess Khodiyar at a newly-built Khodal Dham temple in the Gujarati town.

"Over 3.5 lakh people sang the anthem together at the idol installation ritual in the presence of observers from Guinness World Records," said Hansraj Gajera, a member of Khodal Dham temple trust.

The previous record was held by Bangladesh, where 2,54,537 people had sung the national anthem in 2014 to set a record.

"We received a certificate of record from Guinness World Records officials," Ghajera added.

The trust also set two new records for Limca Book of Records, by organising the longest (40 km) 'shobha-yatra’ (procession) and a 1008-kund ‘mahayagna', he said.

Goddess Khodiyar is particularly revered by the Leuva Patel community.

Trust officials claimed that over 50 lakh devotees were estimated to have visited the temple during the five-day installation ceremony which began on January 17.

The temple was built at the cost of Rs 60 crore. The trust was planning to set up an agricultural university adjacent to the temple premises, Gajera said.

Several leaders from BJP, Congress and the Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel visited the temple during the last four days, he said.