Patna: Shambhu Kumar, a serving Naib Subedar in the Rajput Regiment of the Indian Army, has created history by entering the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the conch shell for 80 seconds in a single breath and a single tune. His achievement has brought pride to the Indian Army, his home district and the entire country. Coming from Bachhwara village, Shambhu Kumar has shown that talent and determination can shine even from the most humble beginnings.
Shambhu Kumar is the son of the late Ramchandra Chaudhary and completed his early education in his village. He joined the Indian Army in 2005 and has since served the nation with discipline and dedication. Alongside his military duties, he continued practising conch shell playing, a traditional instrument often linked with Indian culture and rituals. Through regular practice and strong breath control, he slowly mastered the art, turning it into an international achievement.
Before reaching the global stage, Shambhu Kumar set several national records. He played the conch shell continuously for 53 minutes, earning recognition from the India Book of Records, Limca Book of Records, India Star Book of Records and Bharat World Records. These achievements helped him gain confidence and prepared him for tougher challenges at the international level.
In 2020, Shambhu Kumar made his mark globally by playing the conch shell for 80 seconds in one breath, securing a Guinness world record. In 2021, he went a step further by breaking the 73-second bugle record held by an English army soldier, extending the performance to 83 seconds in a single breath. His success did not stop there. In 2024, he also set a new world record on the Australian musical instrument didgeridoo by playing it for 89.43 seconds, beating the earlier record of 65.66 seconds.
For his remarkable achievements, Shambhu Kumar has received several letters of appreciation from senior army officials and the Ministry of Defence. His journey proves that with hard work, discipline and self-belief, even a simple traditional instrument like the conch shell can carry an Indian soldier’s name to the world record books.
