Mahila Manovikas eyes Guinness World Record with 13-km crochet tiranga bunting

There is a certain rhythm to crochet that cannot be hurried. Every loop must find the next. Every knot must hold. Over the past few months, that rhythm has travelled from drawing rooms in Visakhapatnam to homes across India and overseas, where hundreds of hands have been working towards a common goal: knitting tricolour crochet flags for a World Record.On August 1, more than 40,000 handmade crochet tricolour buntings stretching nearly 13 kilometres will be displayed at Port Stadium, Akkayyapalem, in what Mahila Manovikas hopes will become the world’s longest chain of crochet buntings and earn the organisation its fourth Guinness World Records title. A formal gathering of participants will follow on August 2 at CMR Function Hall, Venkojipalem.The scale of the undertaking is striking. Around 330 crocheters, divided into six groups, have contributed to the project. They span generations, from school children and teenagers to Gen Z enthusiasts, homemakers, working professionals, senior citizens and experienced Guinness Record holders. Some learnt crochet only recently, while others have been practising the craft since childhood. Madhavi Suribhatla, founder of Mahila Manovikas, and a Guinness Record Holder in crochet. | The organisation’s earlier Guinness achievements include the display of 4,686 crochet caps in 2022, many of which were later donated to orphanages and old-age homes, followed by 2,719 handmade ponchos in 2023. The group had also undertaken large-scale crochet squares project, steadily widening both participation and ambition with every record attempt.More than a recordFor Madhavi, the record is only one part of a larger story.“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 says. Crochet, Madhavi believes, offers participants much more than creative satisfaction. “Project Tiranga is about celebrating India’s identity while also showing how a traditional craft can continue to bring people together.”One of the senior participants within the organisation is Nakka Padma, who has coordinated with participants both locally and from across cities and countries. Her own contribution to Project Tiranga stands at around 1,400 crochet flags.“I began making the flags in April,” she says. “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. This time, I ended up making nearly 1,200.”For Padma, the numbers represent persistence rather than competition. Each completed piece reflects evenings spent after household responsibilities, weekends devoted to crochet and countless hours shared with fellow members over calls and online groups.Crafting an identityParticipants are travelling from several cities to attend the official ceremony. Among them is Anshu Malini from Bhubaneswar, who has been associated with Mahila Manovikas through four Guinness record attempts.“I started learning crochet when I was eight years old,” she recalls. “My grandmother was the first teacher in our family. Craft was always valued at home.” A participant displaying her crochet tri-colour flags as part of Mahila Manovikas' attempt at a Guinness World Record of the world’s longest chain of crochet bunting, in Visakhapatnam. | “Every project teaches something new because people from different places contribute different ideas and techniques.” Crochet also reshaped how she sees herself. “When I began this journey, people knew me simply as someo