With her 123-hour performance staged in Thrissur in the last September, Hemalatha has snatched the Guinness world record of longest dance marathon from Hyderabad-based Vettikotta Yadagiri.
"The longest marathon by an individual was 123 hours and 15 minutes achieved by Kalamandalam Hemalatha," said Hemalatha
Hemalatha said PTI, "More than a personal achievement, I consider this as a recognition of Mohiniyattam, the unique dance form of Kerala."
Hemalatha stated that When I embarked on the mission, there was criticism from certain quarters that this was a cheap stunt which marred the beauty and elegance of Mohiniyattam. But I was convinced that mine is a humble attempt to know the world about this performing tradition unique to Kerala.
Hemalalatha smashed Guinness World Record of longest dance marathon in her second attempt after she had to call off her first bid after 64 hours of dancing as she fell ill on stage.
Hemalatha, who is running a dance school in Thrissur, said, “the Guinness honor is an inspiration to launch programmes to encourage interest in Kerala dance forms among youngsters.
In order to spread awareness towards health and physical fitness among women and children, she is planning to embark on a one-month-old all-Kerala relay from January 26.
