13,750 students set Guinness record with Dhimsa dance at new Bhogapuram airport

The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh was inaugurated on Saturday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Alongside the aviation milestone, the ceremony featured a large-scale cultural performance that drew attention to the State's tribal traditions.

As the Prime Minister arrived at the public meeting venue from the terminal building, 13,750 schoolchildren performed the Dhimsa folk dance in unison. The students came from Parvatipuram-Manyam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitarama Raju and other districts. They were organised into 433 groups of 50 each, dressed in vibrant pink saris with green borders and green blouses. The dancers formed circles, holding hands and moving to the rhythm of traditional tribal percussion instruments and folk songs.

A day before the inauguration, the same performance was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the largest Dhimsa dance. Representatives of the organisation from London handed the certificate to Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani during the ceremony.

Special Chief Secretary M.T. Krishnababu, senior IAS officer M.M. Naik, and other officials coordinated the event. The Prime Minister and other dignitaries praised the students' discipline and presentation. Mr. Modi specifically appreciated the performance during his speech.

For many young participants, it was a memorable occasion. Y. Ramya, a student from Parvatipuram, said, "I saw the Prime Minister and Chief Minister from a very short distance. I saw them earlier on television. It was a thrilling experience."

Marpina Ramagopal, a parent from Anandapuram in Visakhapatnam district, said the event helped people across the State understand the importance of the folk dance. "This performance has brought great recognition to our cultural heritage," he added.

Gidugu Ramamurthy, founder of Telugu Bhasha and Janapada Kalapeetham, and retired teacher Badri Kurma Rao thanked the government for including the Dhimsa dance in the programme. They said the event underscored the need to preserve and promote tribal art forms.

The Dhimsa dance is traditionally performed by tribal women in the northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, particularly during festivals and community gatherings. The large-scale display at Bhogapuram brought this regional art form to a national audience. The performance was choreographed to highlight the graceful, circular movements that characterise the dance, which is an integral part of the cultural identity of the region's tribal communities.

The airport, named after the tribal freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, is the first greenfield airport in Andhra Pradesh. It has been developed with modern facilities and is expected to significantly improve connectivity to the northern districts of the State. Its inauguration marked a major infrastructure milestone, while the cultural programme added a distinctive local flavour to the occasion. The event was attended by thousands of people, including several state and central dignitaries, and was broadcast live across various platforms.