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Lucknow: Housekeeper creates largest ‘selfie stand’, record

A housekeeper at a prominent city hotel created the largest ‘selfie stand’ with waste material, thus making a grand entry into the record books.

Published on: May 26, 2018, 14:04:40 IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By , Lucknow
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A housekeeper at a prominent city hotel created the largest ‘selfie stand’ with waste material, thus making a grand entry into the record books.

Using waste bottles, worn-out tyres, old coolers, cold drink cans, scrap and old newspapers, Abhay Saxena, 27 made the ‘stand’ that India Book of Records — the keeper of Indian records for more than a decade — approved and issued a certificate. (HT Photo)
Using waste bottles, worn-out tyres, old coolers, cold drink cans, scrap and old newspapers, Abhay Saxena, 27 made the ‘stand’ that India Book of Records — the keeper of Indian records for more than a decade — approved and issued a certificate. (HT Photo)

Using waste bottles, worn-out tyres, old coolers, cold drink cans, scrap and old newspapers, Abhay Saxena, 27 made the ‘stand’ that India Book of Records — the keeper of Indian records for more than a decade — approved and issued a certificate to him at a function attended by mayor Sanyukta Bhatia on Friday.

Measuring 11 ft 7 inches high and 23 ft 10 inches wide, this huge ‘selfie stand’ was created to spread the message of a “Swacch Bharat” and that waste material can be recycled to be of use for households, said Tushar Chetwan, adjudicator for India Book of Records.

According to Abhay, “40 per cent of household waste material can be used for decorating interiors. It is how you look at the waste material. If you have a creative vision, nothing is waste. You can create art from it.”

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It took Abhay 15 days to collect 2,500 kg waste material and garbage to build his ‘selfie stand’. “We went door-to-door and collected waste. It took my team 17 hours and 30 minutes to create the stand,” said Abhay, who build the stand at BBD Green City ground on Faizabad Road here.

The stand building work began on May 24 and ended in the early hours of May 25, he said.

“Apart from highlighting the ‘Clean India’ campaign, this stand aims to boost the morale of housekeepers who, I feel, don’t get their due status in society,” said Abhay.

Mayor Sayukta Bhatia appreciated Abhay and his team’s efforts for the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign. “She even clicked pictures with our ‘Selfie Stand’. She asked us to also involve school children in such initiatives,” said Abhay.

Chairperson of BBD group Alka Das Gupta visited the site on May 24 while they were constructing the stand. “She has been a great motivational force,” said Abhay, a housekeeper at Hotel Fortune Park, BBD, Lucknow.

Abhay’s record making team included Koustav Ghosh, Ankit Bajpai, Mujib Ahmad, Bablu Suntia, Satyam Vij, Arvind Kumar, Jelius Nongrum, Rohit Verma, Mohd Subrate, Pinku Singh, Pankaj Singh, Amit Kumar Verma, Vishnu Soni, Mahesh Kumar, Amit Kumar, Pratap Singh, Rahul, Ashutosh Dwivedi and Anil Kumar.

  • Rajeev Mullick
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rajeev Mullick

    Rajeev Mullick, Assistant Editor, is a Lucknow-based journalist with over 26 years of experience covering governance, public policy and administration in Uttar Pradesh. His reporting focuses on the district administration, the Divisional Commissioner's Office, the Regional Meteorological Centre, and government policies relating to technical, higher, secondary and primary education. Known for impactful public-interest journalism, his investigations have led to significant policy attention, including a report on deficiencies in a state-run school footwear distribution scheme that prompted widespread national coverage and High Court intervention. He broke the story on the Uttar Pradesh government's One District One Cuisine initiative, highlighting the inclusion of sweets and the exclusion of non-vegetarian dishes, triggering widespread public debate. He covered Mahakumbh 2025 at Prayagraj, reports on the event's administrative, logistical and civic dimensions. From 2012 to 2024, he headed the Lucknow City Bureau, leading coverage of the state's administrative and civic developments while mentoring young reporters. He loves to travel, listen to music. He is fond of eating good food both veg and non veg. He has travelled to several states like West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Family Nadu, Kerela, Bihar, Jharkhand and home state UP.Read More