New Delhi- Indian record-holder Shridhar Chillal has once again captured global attention for his extraordinary fingernails, which earned him a permanent place in Guinness World Records history. He achieved this record today.
According to a feature published by Guinness World Records on August 13, Chillal broke the record for the longest fingernails on a single hand ever on November 17, 2014, in Pune, Maharashtra. His five fingernails on the left hand had a combined length of 909.6 cm (29 ft 10 in)—nearly the height of a three-storey building.
Chillal began growing his nails in 1952 at the age of 16 after a teacher reprimanded him and his friends for accidentally breaking a long fingernail. The incident inspired him to understand the care required to maintain long nails, eventually turning into a lifelong challenge.
His extraordinary nails created difficulties in everyday life. As a photographer, he even needed a specially designed camera handle to accommodate them.
After 66 years, Chillal finally cut his nails in July 2018. He also holds the record for the longest fingernail ever, thanks to his coiled thumbnail.
Although his nails are no longer attached to his hand, they continue to be displayed permanently at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museums in New York and Amsterdam, preserving his remarkable achievement for future generations.
The ceremony brought special recognition to artists from Odisha. Odissi exponent Bichitrananda Swain, Sambalpuri folk-dance exponent Ranjit Kumar Nag and theatre director Subodh Patnaik were among the Odisha artistes selected for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards. Other Odisha awardees in the 2024–25 honours include Guru Sachchidananda Das, Guru Ileana Citaristi and Guru Pagulu Jena.
