KOCHI: Whistling is normally considered a taboo. However, when more than 150 people of all age groups began whistling patriotic songs like ‘Saare Jahan se Acha’ and ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ at Kochi Municipal Corporation Town Hall, nobody could think about the restrictions and taboos, only about breaking records. Indian Whistlers’ Association (IWA), which has its headquarters at Mumbai and local centres in Kochi, Bengaluru and Chennai, organised the event in an attempt enter the ‘Limca Book of Record’, ‘Asia Book of Records’ and ‘India Book of Records’. More than 150 people from Maharashtra, Telangana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and countries like Dubai, UAE and USA came together for the event.
Jyothi R Kamath, the Kerala centre spokesperson of IWA said, “The purpose of holding such an event is to promote whistling as a performing art.” This is one of the first attempts by the largest group whistling together to enter the Limca Book of Records. The association had earlier set a record with 48 whistlers in 2008. This was the convergence of a mixed group of whistling enthusiasts. Jayashree, one of the participants from Mattancherry said, “I have been whistling from my childhood. Earlier, girls who whistled in public were ridiculed, since nobody treated it as an art.” Mohan Appa from Pune says, “We should see whistling as a form of music since it has ‘sur’.”
Each participant had to go through two rounds of whistling before he or she was allowed an opportunity to participate in the final event. The whistlers have entered the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records.