From tallest coriander to highest kicks: Nagaland’s Guinness World Records feats

Yilobemo Erui, a farmer from New Wokha village, made history by officially entering the Guinness World Records (GWR) for cultivating the tallest coriander plant and adding to the list of world record-breaking feats from Nagaland. 

As the State celebrates the new record, The Morung Learning takes a look back at GWR feats achieved in Nagaland over the years.

Tallest Coriander Plant
According to record details available on the GWR website, Erui’s coriander plant, measured on April 25, 2024, stood at 2.77 meters (9 feet 1.06 inches). Yilobemo is driven by a passion for agriculture and a desire to showcase the rich agricultural heritage of the Lotha tribe. Erui’s aim in breaking the record is to bring attention to the “potential of their farming practices and the quality of produce that they can cultivate, including his coriander plant, which is now officially the tallest in the world,” the website added.

Reports indicate that various departments in Wokha District, such as the District Administration, Horticulture, Agriculture, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and Land Records and Survey, came together on April 25 to inspect Erui’s coriander plant in New Wokha village.

 This inspection followed the successful application for the GWR title, sent on Erui’s behalf by the district administration to the GWR. Before Erui, Gopal Dutt Upreti from Uttarakhand held the record for growing the world’s tallest coriander plant, with a height of 7.1 feet (2.16 meters).

Highest Assisted Martial Arts Kick
On July 5, 2023, Faith In Action Martial Arts Academy made history by setting a new GWR for the ‘Highest Assisted Martial Arts Kick’ (male) and broke a decade-long record achieved in China in 2012. 

According to GWR, the Academy achieved the feat with a kick measuring 4.39 meters (14 feet 5 inches) on the set of India’s Got Talent in Mumbai on July 5. 

Faith in Action is described as a group skilled in martial arts techniques hailing from Nagaland. 

They performed a demonstration of their skills before making their official attempt, including breaking pieces of wood during acrobatic flying kicks, smashing piles of tiles with elbows, and tossing each other to great heights. 

The previous record in China was achieved by Simon Lass (Germany) on December 9, 2012, with a kick measuring 4.30 meters (14 feet 1.2 inches). In the female category, the record was achieved by Alison Johnson (USA) in McKinney, Texas, on April 20, 2019, with a kick measuring 2.38 meters (7 feet 10 inches).

Largest Traditional Konyak Dance
The largest traditional Konyak dance, consisting of 4,687 participants, was achieved by The Konyak Union (India) in Mon, on April 5, 2019 during Aoleang Monyu Mini Hornbill Festival.

“The purpose of attempting this record was to showcase the tradition of the Konyak people and to take a step towards conserving their cultural heritage through traditional dance and music,” according to the GWR website.

Largest Electric Guitar Ensemble
According to the GWR, the largest electric guitar ensemble involved 368 participants and was achieved by Sky Group (India) at Agri Expo, 4th Mile,  Dimapur (now Chümuokedima) on January 12, 2013. 

“The event was organized to promote unity and peace in Nagaland. It involved participants between the ages of 11 to 70 years and performed on the song ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ by Guns N’ Roses,” the event description reads.

News reports from the event informed that the 368 musicians came from different states in the Northeast and were selected from around 600 participants.

Largest Rhododendron
The largest Rhododendron (Scarlet Rhododendron arboreum) was recorded from Mt. Japfü, Nagaland.  According to the GWR website, an example of the “scarlet Rhododendron arboreum on Mt. Japfü, Nagaland, India reportedly reached a height of 20 meters (65 feet).”

The website, however, does not provide further details about the record. Other reports indicate that the tree was discovered in 1993 at Mount Japfü, Kohima.

Additional reports on the official state flower of Nagaland state that another Rhododendron measuring 108 feet was also discovered at Mount Japfü in 1993, but this record is not available on the GWR website.

Tallest Paddy Plant (No Longer Standing)
In October 1998, late Melhite Kenye discovered a rare paddy plant measuring 2.55 meters (8.5 feet) with “175 stalks and 510 grains in each ear,” making it then the tallest paddy species found in the world.

Known as Nagaland’s ‘Paddy Man’ and a pastor by profession, Kenye’s feat was reportedly recognised by the Guinness World Records, London, in 2001. A year later, he received the Governor’s Gold Medal for his achievement.  He passed away at the age of 100 in February 2022.

As per the GWR, the current tallest paddy plant (Oryza sativa) in the world measures 2.8m (9 ft 2 in) and it was grown by Tanaji Nikam in Kolhapur, Maharashtra in 2005.

(Morung Learning Feature)
For more details on Guinness World Records feats from Nagaland, check here: 
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/search?term=Nagaland&page=1&type=record&max=20&partial=_Results&

Source: https://morungexpress.com/from-tallest-coriander-to-highest-kicks-nagalands-guinness-world-records-feats