14-yr-old city boy makes it to Guinness Book

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 6

A 14-year-old boy, Akashdeep from Malkana village in Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, got his name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for chiselling a wood into a miniature model of Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple).

At a tender age of eight, Akashdeep started showing a keen interest in his father’s carpentry work at the shop. He would watch his father carving out agricultural implements and other utility items out of wood.

He thought of doing so out of his love for rich cultural heritage of Sikhism. He used 10 different types of woods to carve out a 27-inch-long and 18-inch-wide miniature model of Sri Darbar Sahib. It took him around one and a half months to create it. Leaving no stone unturned to ensure that he does not compromise on the creative part or on technical finesse required for the masterpiece, Akashdeep even ordered special cutters, blades and a special drilling machine from China.

Akashdeep Singh said: “People, including renowned personalities from all across the world, visit Sri Darbar Sahib. Being a Sikh, it inspired me to create something that would put the sanctum sanctorum and rich cultural heritage of Sikhism on the world map.”

“As a child, I was drawn to art and would often do painting, sketching and later started making models. I guess making sculptures is in our genes as my great grandpa and grandfather and now my father have been doing it. I would often go to my father’s carpentry shop and watch him creating wooden agriculture implements and other utility items for hours. I also started dabbling in this art and carved one item or the other out of wood,” added Akashdeep.

Last year his name featured in the Limca Book of Records for carving out a micro train on 2mm pencil lead.

His father, Bhola Singh, alias Sadda Mistry, said: “When it comes to artistic works, we do not dictate our children, we let them work feely without any restriction. Akashdeep was working on his artistic creation and shared all his videos and documents demanded by the jury of Guinness Book of World Records team.

A state-level football player, he drew inspiration for creating the miniature model after looking at a beautiful picture of Sri Darbar Sahib in a book.

Asked as to what he would be working on in future, Akashdeep, who is a Class 10 student of Star Plus Convent School, said: “For now, my focus would certainly be on studies and then I would think of sculpting miniature wooden models of the Seven Wonders of the World.”