Jyoti Amge, who is tiny in stature, has two reasons to celebrate her 18th birthday – the most obvious being her milestone age, and the other being her imminent recognition as the world’s shortest woman by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Measuring at 62.8 centimeters (24.7 inches) tall, Amge is seven centimeters (2.76 inches) shorter than the previous titleholder, the 22-year-old American Bridgette Jordan, who had held the record since September.
This marks not Amge’s first encounter with the Guinness records; she was previously acknowledged as the world’s shortest teenager, but reaching 18 has qualified her for this new title.
With tears in her eyes and dressed in one of her most beautiful saris, Amge referred to this recognition as an ‘extra birthday present’ and expressed her gratitude for her petite size, attributing her fame to it.
Following the presentation of her plaque, she along with her guests celebrated by cutting a birthday cake.
Amge stated: ‘I have put Nagpur on the world map. Now everyone will know where it is.’
Her aspirations include becoming a Bollywood film star and pursuing a university degree after completing high school this year.
‘I want to be an actor,’ she expressed.
According to a statement from Guinness, Amge has experienced a growth of less than one centimeter (0.4 inch) in the past two years, with no further growth anticipated due to a form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia.
The record for the shortest woman in history remains with Pauline Musters, who lived from 1876 to 1895 in the Netherlands, standing at just 61 centimeters (24 inches) tall.
