World Scene: India

160,000 sing to a world record

More than 160,000 devotees who chanted hymns in honor of a Hindu deity in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad have set a new record for the world's largest choir, officials said.

The singers gathered on Sunday for more than an hour to perform hymns penned by 15th century saint and poet Tallapaka Annamacharya. Their singing session, broke the previous 72-year-old record of a 60,000-strong German choir, the United News of India news agency reported. A Guinness World Records representative was present to confirm the achievement.