Rains, confusion mar Telangana's attempt to get Bathukamma into Guinness

Hyderabad: An attempt to set a Guinness world record for the largest number of women forming the shape of a Thangedu flower, the state flower of Telangana, on Thursday was foiled by rain and confusion among officials monitoring the event.

About 3,000 women clad in yellow and greensaris had formed the shape of a Thangedu, and another 3,000 had begun making Bathukammas at LB Stadium when it started raining.

Burra Venkatesam, the tourism secretary of Telangana, said, “We shall make another attempt in November. We were attempting to set Guinness records in two categories the formation of a Thangedu flower, the preparation of Bathukammas. The attempt under the first category was successfully completed, but representatives from the Guinness Book of Records thought that it was a rehearsal,” he said.

Mr Swapnil, an official adjudicator of the Guinness World Records, said, “We considered the first event to be a rehearsal, and the rain interrupted the second event.” He said that the previous record was for the formation of a Thangedu flower by 2,567 women. “This time we are not considering a record to have been set,” he said.

Last year, the preparation of Bathukammas by 9,292 women at LB Stadium was entered into Guinness Book of Records.