Agra: Fourteen-year-old Akash Gupta on Tuesday set a new world record by playing his guitar for 45 hours here, Guinness World Records judge Ralph Hana said.

Akash began playing the instrument at the 162-year-old St. Peter's College on Sunday and broke American Brian Engelhart's 2005 record of 44 hours at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

However, the teenager continued playing, with the aim of breaking his own record of 52 hours and 48 minutes that earned him a place in the Limca Book of Records last year. Guiness does not recognise the Limca record. A large crowd cheered Akash as he strummed his guitar.

Hanna said an increasing number of Indians were queuing up to set records, which earlier attracted mostly Europeans and Americans.

"Such activities get the people of the town together as they encourage and cheer their hero to scale new heights. As you can see in Agra, people are very involved," he said.

Two other residents of the city of Taj hold world records. Parthasarthy Sharma, a homeopath, holds the record for examining the highest number of patients in a year and Shandilya for playing the longest flute - six feet.

"The spirit of adventure is crucial for human progress. Ever higher, better than before - these thoughts fuelled man's urge to compete and set new records," Hanna said.

Source : IANS