• Hon’ble Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha praised the activities of World Book of Records and Congratulated CEO Santosh Shukla.

Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India: The Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department, Government of Odisha included in World Book of Records for organising a Mega Pot Making Competition in which 1,000 artisans simultaneously created terracotta pottery within one hour on 24 February 2025 at Janata Maidan, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar.

The gathering was inaugurated by Pradeep Bal Samanta, Minister for Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts, who described terracotta artisans as torchbearers of Odisha’s cultural heritage. Commissioner-cum-Secretary Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar highlighted ongoing initiatives promoting indigenous crafts under the “Vocal for Local” campaign. Odisha currently recognises 64 handicrafts, with terracotta among the most ancient traditions, supporting over 36,000 artisans across more than 40 craft clusters.

The programme was attended by Nivedita Prusti, Director of Handicrafts; Padma Shri awardee Binod Maharana; national award-winning artisans Manabodh Rana and Mukunda Rana; SIDAC Member Secretary Chinmayee Biswal; World Book of Records Chartered Officers Rajesh Shukla and Dr. Rajeev Srivastava; Mamata Nayak; Deputy Director Managobinda Jena; and other dignitaries.

The landmark “Grand Terracotta Craft Competition” set a new global benchmark in the category of the highest number of participants engaged simultaneously in clay craft production. Alongside the mass participation record, seven individual artisans also surpassed previous international milestones in one-hour clay production.

Sebak Rana from Bargarh secured first place by producing 310 clay glasses in one hour. Madhab Muduli of Nayagarh crafted 248 items, Than Sundar Rana of Balangir produced 232, Ramesh Chandra Muduli of Balasore created 230, Bijay Behera of Angul made 227, Basant Rana of Balangir completed 219, and Makar Ketan Sahu of Kendrapara produced 218 clay items each exceeding the previous record of 212 items set by Michael Weber of the United States.