Aditya Pacholy, 34, from Madhya Pradesh, India, has set a new world record for the fastest time to tie a turban, doing so in 14.12 seconds.
Using a cotton cloth measuring 4.25 metres (14 ft) long and 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) wide, Aditya tied it in the style of a “Rajputi Rajasthani pagdi”, a turban style originating from the Rajput community in Rajasthan.
For most people, this style of turban can take several minutes to tie.
@guinnessworldrecords Fastest time to tie a turban 👳♂️ ⏱️ 14.12 seconds by Aditya Pacholy 🇮🇳 #india#turban#guinnessworldrecords♬ original sound - Guinness World Records
Aditya has been tying turbans for 15 years, and as a master of the craft, he decided it was time to put his skills to the test by setting a world record. He also wanted to inspire people outside of India to start wearing turbans.
“Turban tying is an old art in India,” he said. “I am pretty good at it, so I want to spread this art to the whole world.”
Starting from the back of the head, Aditya tied the turban in a winding fashion around to the front of the head at a diagonal angle, and then back around at a diagonal angle.
As the cloth is wrapped around the head, the section that starts by the base of the scalp gets layered upwards with every fold, and the section beginning at the forehead gets folded downwards, creating even folds on either side of the head.
At the end of the final layer, Aditya folded and partially tucked the remaining bit of cloth into the turban to create the protruding “kalgi”, in accordance with the Rajputi Rajasthani style.
Aditya now holds two Guinness World Records titles – he achieved his first one in August 2022 when he created the world’s largest turban. Measuring 345.25 m² (3,716 ft²), this enormous turban was also tied in the Rajputi Rajasthani style.
The Rajputi style is one of several Rajasthani turban styles, which itself is a subset of the many types of turban worn across the Indian subcontinent.
Historically, the style, colour, and size of a turban worn in Rajasthan has indicated the wearer’s social class, caste, and region they’re from.
The Rajasthani turban also has many practical functions. For example, it can be used by travellers as a pillow, blanket, or towel. It can also be used to strain muddy water, and when unravelled, it can be tied to a bucket to draw water from a well.
In Rajasthan, turban tying competitions are held in fairs and during festivals, encouraging tourists and locals alike to take part. Far from viewing it as cultural appropriation, Rajasthani people – Aditya included – encourage everyone who admires the aesthetic to don the historic headwear.
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