Indian Guitarists Set To Break World Record

More than 1,700 guitarists in India's remote northeast played a Bob Dylan classic on Friday in an effort destined to break a world record for the largest ever guitar ensemble.

The guitarists of all ages and skills performed Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" in the hill state of Meghalaya to start a month-long Autumn Festival in state capital Shillong.

The world record will be declared after officials nominated by the Guinness World Records submit their report, Robert G. Lyngdoh, chairman of the local tourism development forum told the gathering, which included a four-year-old guitarist.

"Meghalaya has once again broken a world record with the 1,730-strong guitar ensemble which played for a continuous five minutes in perfect rhythm," said Lyngdoh.

The current Guinness record -- 1,683 guitarists -- for the largest ensemble performance, of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water," was set on June 3, 2007 at Kansas city in the United States.

The annual Indian festival, aimed at promoting Meghalaya and seven northeast sister states, created a new world record last year for the largest drum ensemble, comprising 7,951 people.