Followers of Indian spiritual leader Chinmoy Kumar Ghose have set a world record by lighting 72,000 candles on a giant cake to mark his 85th birth anniversary.
Ashrita Furman, city-based 61-year-old Guinness World Record champion, and students of Sri Chinmoy set the world record by lighting 72,000 candles to burn simultaneously on the cake measuring 45 feet by 10 feet in the borough of Queens here.
About 100 people spent several hours counting and inserting the candles on the cake during event on August 27, a press release issued said.
Furman, who manages a health food store, dedicated the new Guinness Record to the spiritual guru.
“Our teacher came from India to offer us the light of meditation. With tremendous gratitude we are honouring what would be his 85th birthday with the light of 72,000 candles,” he said.
Mr. Furman had a record of lighting 48,000 candles, which was upset by a team that lit 50,000 candles in April, 2016. He has set 622 Guinness world records in his lifetime, several still unbeaten, the release added.
He has been breaking Guinness World Records since 1979, including building the world’s largest tennis racket.
Ashok Parulekar, leader of Sri Chinmoy Centers in India said in the statement that Chinmoy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi both believe in the power of yoga and meditation to build harmony in the world.
