HYDERABAD: A few years ago, when Ravi Kumar Toleti, a maths teacher thought of starting origami, it was to teach the subject to students in a new way. He says it took more than a week to master a type of origami, but since then, Ravi has been in love with the art of folding.
Now, 57-year-old Ravi Kumar has become a Guinness World Record holder, with his unique record of displaying 1,776 pieces of origami and showcasing the largest display. Ravi said he wanted to dedicate this record to the motherland so he chose a three-dimensional structure and the national bird of India, the peacock, to make this record.
Stating that origami taught him patience, he told Express that in his endeavor to create the records, he, on an average, spent four hours every day for16 days from (October 29, 2020 to November 14, 2020) making 1,800 peacock folds. “It was a challenging task, but my passion for origami was the driving force,” he said.
The display for the record was done at Kalamandir auditorium at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Trimulgherry in Secunderabad, on November 15, 2020. After a full authentication, the Guinness World Records recognised the initiative as the largest display of origami peacocks on July 24, 2021. On Monday, he dedicated his record to the 75th Independence Day.
Ravi is also using his art as a tool to teach mathematics and science concepts to students, for which he puts up videos on his YouTube channel. He also teaches kids to make different origami structures, including camels, foxes, pandas and gazelles. “Origami has several applications and can be a profession for aspiring students. It is used in medical diagnosis, the Space Department for solar modules, aerospace for parachute folds, DNA helix, fabrication, engineering work and many creative doors are made with origami folds. The opportunities are infinite in the field,” he says.