Bengaluru boy, 4, reads 1,676 words, enters India Book of Records

Image courtesy: India Book of Records

Reading a storybook can take time, even for an adult. But Atharva Kirti Sagar, a boy from Bengaluru, Karnataka, has drawn attention for reading 1,676 English words from a chapter of a Sudha Murty book in less than half an hour.

He completed the reading in 26 minutes, 49 seconds and 76 milliseconds, earning recognition from the India Book of Records.According to the official website of India Book of Records, Atharva read the chapter titled ‘A Send-off Party’ from The Magic of the Lost Temple, an English storybook by author Sudha Murty. The record was confirmed on September 7, 2026, when he was aged four years, 11 months and 10 days.Atharva was born on September 28, 2021, as mentioned in the record entry published by the India Book of Records.

His achievement is listed under the record category ‘Maximum English words read from a story book by a kid’.

A reading achievement before turning five

The record recognises the number of English words Atharva read from a storybook and the time he took to complete the passage. He read 1,676 words from a single chapter, ‘A Send-off Party’, in 26 minutes, 49 seconds and 76 milliseconds.The timing recorded by the organisation includes milliseconds, making the entry precise about how long the reading attempt took.

The record does not describe the attempt as a speed-reading competition or provide details about the preparation that went into it.

The book behind the record

Atharva chose a chapter from The Magic of the Lost Temple by Sudha Murty. The book is an English storybook, and the record entry identifies the specific chapter he read rather than describing the achievement as reading the entire book. The India Book of Records has documented the attempt as a record for reading the maximum number of English words from a storybook by a child. Its entry identifies Atharva as a Bengaluru resident and gives his age on the date the record was confirmed.At four years and 11 months, Atharva completed the reading of 1,676 words in under 27 minutes. The recognition places his achievement in the organisation's Young Achievers category.