Visakhapatnam group aims for Guinness record with 13-km crochet tiranga bunting
Mahila Manovikas, a Visakhapatnam-based organisation, is set to attempt a Guinness World Record on August 1 with a display of handmade crochet buntings in the Indian tricolour. The organisation expects the chain, made of more than 40,000 buntings and stretching nearly 13 kilometres, to be the longest of its kind. The display will take place at Port Stadium, Akkayyapalem.
The project, named 'Project Tiranga', involved around 330 crocheters divided into six groups. The buntings are triangular flags, each crocheted with the three colours of the national flag. The buntings were crafted over several months, with participants working from their homes in Visakhapatnam and other cities, as well as overseas. The design — saffron, white and green — was kept consistent across all pieces, and threads were coordinated to ensure uniformity in size and colour. Participants include school children, teenagers, working professionals, homemakers, senior citizens and those who have previously taken part in record attempts. Some learned crochet recently, while others have practised it for decades.
Mahila Manovikas was founded by Madhavi Suribhatla with a focus on women's self-worth, skill-sharing and social engagement. The organisation has previously earned three Guinness World Records: in 2022, it displayed 4,686 crochet caps, many of which were donated to orphanages and old-age homes; in 2023, it made 2,719 ponchos; and it has also undertaken a large-scale crochet squares project.
Ms. Suribhatla said the record attempt is part of a larger effort to bring people together through a traditional craft. "We have members from different countries and different walks of life. Many may never have met one another in person, but crochet has connected them through a common purpose," she said. "Project Tiranga is about celebrating India's identity while also showing how a traditional craft can continue to bring people together."
Among the senior participants is Nakka Padma, who coordinated with crocheters locally and from other cities and countries. She said she made around 1,200 to 1,400 flags for the current project. "Every record pushes us to do better than the last. During our poncho record, I completed 70 ponchos. For the crochet squares project, my target was only 100, but I eventually made more than 3,000 squares," she said. She described the effort as persistence rather than competition, with each piece reflecting hours spent after household duties and shared time with fellow members over calls and online groups.
Anshu Malini from Bhubaneswar, who has participated in four Guinness record attempts with Mahila Manovikas, said crochet has given her a distinct identity. "When I began this journey, people knew me simply as someone's daughter, wife or mother. Crochet gave me an identity. Today, many people know me as 'Guinness Malini'," she said. She learned the craft at age eight from her grandmother and has found the community to be a source of shared techniques and ideas.
Beyond the record, the organisation has used crochet as a tool for social engagement. Many of the caps made during the 2022 record were donated to orphanages and old-age homes, and the group has also undertaken community outreach programmes.
The event on August 1 is open for public viewing. A formal gathering of participants will be held on August 2 at CMR Function Hall, Venkojipalem. Participants from cities such as Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are expected to attend. The organisation aims to demonstrate that a traditional craft can serve both creative expression and social bonding. The record attempt is being monitored by officials from Guinness World Records, and the outcome will be announced after verification.
