Mangaluru Student Sets World Record for 170-Hour Continuous Bharatanatyam Performance

Mangaluru student, Remona Pereira, a final-year Bachelor of Arts student at St. Aloysius College, set a new world record by performing Bharatanatyam continuously for 170 hours over seven days. This record performance was held at the college’s Robert Sequeira Hall, which surpassed the previous record of 127 hours of marathon dance and has been officially recognised by the Golden Book of World Records.

Remona’s record is an inspirational achievement on a global scale. Her 170-hour continuous dance performance not only exemplifies physical endurance but also showcases her deep commitment to the classical Indian dance form.

Remona trained as a Bharatanatyam dancer for 13 years and decided to set a record. She prepared to take this challenge for several years before finally attempting it in 2025. She balanced rigorous daily dance training of five to six hours alongside her academic studies to qualify for this record attempt.

The event was closely observed and verified by officials from the Golden Book of World Records and documented comprehensively on camera to ensure authenticity. St. Aloysius College’s administration, faculty, and student body rallied behind Remona, offering unwavering support and expressing immense pride in her unprecedented accomplishment.

The performance required Remona to stick to a strict diet so that she ate only light and nutritious food, which consisted of bananas, curd, tender coconut water, and well-cooked soft rice; during the performance, she also took scheduled 15-minute breaks after every three hours. This carefully designed dietary regime was practised for months before the attempt to maintain her energy and health.

A dedicated medical team, including doctors and ambulance staff, monitored Remona’s well-being throughout the seven-day endurance test, ensuring her safety during the grueling performance.

Performing many styles of Bharatanatyam and improvising to recorded music throughout the record-breaking duration, Remona proved that she is a versatile artist with the skills to touch even the most unconventional audience and put forward her passion and devotion to her art form. 

This unique achievement not only pays tribute to the personal effort of Remona Pereira but also brings Bharatanatyam under the spotlight as a vibrant and timeless classical dance form. However, when the news surfaced on the internet, the general public had mixed reactions; some called it unnecessary, while others were left stunned. Nonetheless, the community and dance lovers in Mangaluru and across the world are praising her as a role model to the budding artists.