Tushar Lakhanpal isn’t sure how it all began, but his parents say the 17-year-old has been collecting pencils for about 15 years now.
“He used to put away the pencils he would receive as gifts and was particular about collecting pencils of different kinds. This habit soon turned into a hobby, and was encouraged by everyone,” said Vandana Lakhanpal, who works in the social sector.
At the age of 15, he had amassed over 14,000 pencils in various shapes and sizes from over 40 countries. The smallest pencil in his collection is 3 cm, while the biggest is 8’3”. Clutch pencils, colour pencils, scented pencils, pencils with different caps and figures, wooden pencils, handmade paper pencils and recycled newspaper pencils are all a part of his collection. He also has spoon-shaped pencils, thermometer pencils, a 24-carat gold designer pencil, a variety of Swarovski-studded pencils, a pencil painted in 22 karat gold and two pencils that were once used by the Queen of England.
ADVERTISEMENT
“These two are the most precious and close to my heart,” says the Class XII student.
His collection has been featured in the Limca Book of Records since 2009, 2010 and 2012, and remains unbeaten. With an ambition to make a pencil museum and display his collection, Tushar is working overtime to enhance his collection so that it is featured in the Guinness World Records. Uruguayan Emilio Arenas is the current holder of the Guinness record with a collection of 16,260 pencils. Tushar currently has a collection of over 18,000 pencils.
Uruguayan Emilio Arenas is the current holder of the Guinness record with a collection of 16,260 pencils. Tushar currently has a collection of over 18,000 pencils