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

Published 31 July 2026 · local

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

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. Founded in Visakhapatnam by Madhavi Suribhatla, Mahila Manovikas has steadily built a community around crochet while placing equal emphasis on women’s self-worth, skill-sharing and social engagement.

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 record For 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.