Madras University Telugu department pinning hopes on Guinness world record

Chennai: The Telugu department of Madras University is pinning its hope on a Guinness world record breaking recitation by 500 poets to attract more students.

With very few takers for the course, the Head of Department is compiling video clips of poets from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Seemandhara and Karnataka, who have already made a place for themselves in the Limca book of records in July by reciting poetry for 25 hours non-stop at the Marina campus of Madras University.

According to Professor and Head of the Department of Telugu Dr M. Sampath Kumar, as the language departments in Madras University have very few takers, this event will help popularize the languages. At present in total 40 students inclusive of M.A, Ph.D and M.Phil have taken up Telugu.

"As very few students take up language courses so we came up with this idea. In my department it is still better but in Kannada and other departments there are very few students," he said. The Tamil language department will conduct a similar event shortly. Similarly the Vice Chancellor R. Thandavan has also encouraged all the other departments to conduct such events to popularise the language departments.

Explaining the details of the event, the professor said that earlier this year on July 18 a 25-hour non-stop poet meet started at 10 am and ended the next day at 1 pm at Marina campus of Madras University.

"This kind of nonstop Telugu Poet's meet has not happened anywhere in India or for that matter in world," he said. The poets have recited more than 500 poems. The main theme of these poems was on social issues.

Professor Sampath Kumar further said that representatives from the Telugu Book of Records were present during the event and certified it as a record. Further, India Book of Records and Limca Book of Records also recognised it.

"Currently we are preparing for the Guinness world record. Earlier in August, we had sent around 40 videos. But they wanted the video to be divided into 15-minute slots to check the time taken by each poet. Accordingly, we prepared where one slot covers two to three poets. We made around 35 slots," he said.

Apart from videos he has also sent paper clippings and invitation cards to the poets and photos of the event. "Everything will be ready by the end of this week. The video clips will be uploaded on YouTube," he said.

The reason for conducting this event in TN is mainly because of the conflict between the two states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Poets residing in Telangana would not have turned up in Andhra Pradesh and vice-versa. "So I chose to conduct it in Madras University where people from both the states participated," Professor Sampath Kumar said.