India's drone light show enters the Guinness Book (video)

Mysuru Dasara, also known as Nada Habba, in India, is one of the most important festivals that showcases the country's tradition and culture. The traditional royal procession, the Golden Howdah, and offerings to Goddess Chamundeshwari are essential components of it.

However, on the night of Sunday, October 18, 2026, tens of thousands of people gathered at the Bannimantap Torchlight Parade Ground in Mysuru, Karnataka, witnessed a completely different sight. 3,473 drones simultaneously ascended into the sky, creating the image of a giant peacock dancing, thereby setting a Guinness World Record.

This was added to the Guinness World Records book as the world's largest bird formation created using multi-rotor or drone aircraft. Guinness World Records officials who arrived from London confirmed this achievement on the spot, and the relevant certificate was awarded to L. Lokesh, Technical Director of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company, and his team. Previously, this record was held by a record set in Libya on September 30, 2026, using approximately 3,000 drones.

This massive aerial display was organized by Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company in collaboration with the Department of Energy, Government of Karnataka. Its technical operations were carried out by Botlab Dynamics, a New Delhi-based company that emerged from IIT Delhi. This was their fifth consecutive year contributing to the Mysuru Dasara festival, and this occasion also led to an increase in their total number of Guinness World Records to eight.

Among the 12 formations created in the sky that night, the main feature was the image of the peacock, India's national bird. Its dancing posture, with feathers appearing to move, was technically well-represented. In addition, shapes such as a lion, a butterfly, Goddess Chamundeshwari, a soldier holding the Indian tricolor flag, an elephant with the Golden Howdah, the map of Karnataka state, Lord Shiva, Nandi the bull, the Sudarshana Chakra, elements of the solar system, and tributes to veteran actor Dr. Vishnuvardhan were also drawn in the sky by drones. Concurrently with this display, a musical concert featuring singers Manikanth Kadri, Anuradha Bhat, and Hansika Iyer was also held.

A large crowd had gathered to witness this historic event. The Star of Mysuru newspaper reported that over 25,000 spectators were mesmerized by this display. According to other reports, over 40,000 people attended, exceeding the stadium's seating capacity of 33,500, and thousands more watched from outside the venue, on building rooftops, and from various locations across the city. One report indicated that this year's audience attendance had increased by 154 percent compared to 2025.

This record is the second Guinness World Record achieved by Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company. In 2025, these organizers and Botlab collaborated to create the image of a jumping tiger using 2,983 drones, setting a record in the mammal category. Although they had planned to launch 3,500 drones that time, it was executed with 27 fewer drones than the target. Nevertheless, Botlab's journey during the Dasara festival has been very systematic. Their journey, which began with 250 drones in 2022 and 2023, 1,500 drones in 2024, and nearly 3,000 drones in 2025, has now grown to 3,473 drones for this year's peacock formation.

Watch the video related to this event ›