By V.N. Balakrishna, IANS,
Ahmedabad : What may perhaps be the longest flag ever made by a religious group, for the Ambaji temple here, is ready. It’s a mammoth 415 feet long. When erected, it stands as high as 20 feet.
“For the past 14 years Vyasvadi Pagpada Sangh members have been trekking to the Ambaji temple. And we decided why not make the longest ever flag for Ambaji Mata,” said Chakkubhai Patel, president of the Sangh.
The flag will be taken to Ambaji, 198 km from here, and the journey will begin on Aug 21, culminating on Aug 28, Chakkubhai Patel said.
“We had sent a letter to the Guinness Book of World Records about the flag and they have sent us our ID number and membership approval. Only proof was needed about the size of the flag,” he said.
“Though we had mentioned in the letter to Guinness about the flag being 411 feet, it actually measured 415 feet.”
The Sangh has paid for the flag and on Independence Day Aug 15, 20,000 people would be contributing Rs.5 each to offset the cost. “We will not accept more than Rs.5 per head,” Chakkubhai Patel added.
The Sangh has no office of its own except a community hall for its activities at Nava Vadaj.
Ambaji temple, shrine of Goddess Ambaji, located in the village bearing her name, nestles at the foothills of the Aravali mountain range close to the Gujarat-Rajasthan border.