Now stub out the butt in world’s largest ashtray

18-year-old from Jaipur enters Guinness Book with his 50-kg magnum opus

Now stub out the butt in world's largest ashtray

18-year-old from Jaipur enters Guinness Book with his 50-kg magnum opus

All that glitters...: Akshat Pabuwal (right), with fashion designer
Rohit Bal, showcases the record-making ashtray at India Habitat
Centre in New Delhi on July 18. PIC/Rajeev Tyagi

The maker says, the pieces have been hammered in the same way as our lungs suffer every time we smoke which ultimately shortens life. Ashtray and life, the contradictory aspects were brought together by a university aspirant who made the WHO symbol for World No Tobacco Day.

Keeping up with family traditions, Akshat Pabuwal, a resident of Jaipur, made the ashtray, which weighs 50 kg and is 4X4 feet in dimensions, that registered him in the Guinness and Limca Book of Records. The showcase event took place at the India Habitat Centre in the Capital on July 18. Chief guest at the function was designer Rohit Bal. Akshat's father Amit Pabuwal designs trophies for major sports events. He too has his name in the Guinness Book.

The main aim of Akshat was to get admission in a top university. According to the universities, in order to receive admission students have to participate in community service along with academics. On World Tobacco Day he decided that he would make the world's biggest ashtray, which is a symbol of no smoking.

"It took me three months to plan out everything and another 3 months in the making (the work started on March 7 and was completed on June 5). It is made of nickel, silver and brass," said Akshat. "It is a good step towards reforming society and making youngsters aware of the ill-effects of smoking and compelling them to quit" said a Limca Book official present there, praising the efforts by the youngster.

Rohit Bal said he was pleased to see the whole work and it reminded him of how he got out of his habit of smoking. "Smoking becomes your companion and is also not offensive because it is socially acceptable. I used to smoke 5-6 cigarettes every day and I started it because of peer pressure. But 20 years ago I gave it up" said Rohit Bal.

He also said that one has to be mentally very strong to give up smoking and thanked the medicines and chewing gums that are available today which encourage smokers to quit. "I would also like to applaud the steps taken by government by not allowing smoking in bars, restaurants, offices and public areas," he added.

World tour
Akshat now plans to take his creation to 1000 universities in 75 countries to spread awareness regarding problems of tobacco usage.

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