New Delhi: Eleven-year-old Meghali Malbika Swain has the world at her fingertips.
She recently entered the India Book of Records (IBR) for the fastest recitation of names of 1,000 rivers of the world.
The child prodigy is also able to identify and locate any country on a blank map and even detail their geographical features.
Meghali stunned the IBR officials by naming all major rivers of the world, including 300 from Europe, 200 from America, 400 from Asia and 100 from Africa in 7.39 minutes.
The other records she has made include recalling the names of 1,000 cities in 9.04 minutes — that too without fumbling. This list includes 196 capital cities of the world and 97 cities of India. She also completed the fastest recitation of 1,000 geographical bodies on earth in 11.28 minutes, which included all the major mountains, plateaus, islands, seas, gulfs and deserts.
The list had 350 geographical physical features from Europe, 400 from Asia, 200 from North and South America and about 100 from Africa. She achieved the target much ahead of the stipulated time.
Popularly known as the ‘Google Girl of India’, Meghal has been appearing on TV shows for the past few years.
She was just four-years-old when her father first noticed her talent. Meghali said simply, “I remember, he was teaching geography to a student and I happened to be around. He named some countries and I was able to memorise them. Later, when I blurted out the names, he was shocked.”
At that time, she was not even able to properly identify alphabets and her parents had thought it was too early to send her to school.
Initially, Meghali’s father Prafulla Kumar Swain, an Odisha administrative officer, thought it was a one-off instance, in which his daughter came across as a genius, but soon she displayed her amazing memory power and command over world physical geography.
Sensing his daughter’s interest in the subject, Prafulla began giving her some basic lessons by introducing her to maps and geography books and found her queries quite intriguing. The lessons continued and by the time she was six, Meghali could identify all 196 countries on the atlas, their capitals, flags, currency, major rivers, deserts, mountains and more in seconds. Her current affairs knowledge, jokes and stories too soon earned her accolades.
Asked if she has a trick up her sleeves and whether her tender mind is being burdened with so much to memorise, the confident little girl laughed, “I don’t actually have to learn. Once I hear something, it gets stored in my mind and I don’t forget it. I do not know about other children, but my parents say I have an amazing grasping power. My teachers also feel the same.”
Even while aspirants in Indian Administrative Services (IAS) examinations might be stumped by some geography questions, the wonder girl finds everything as easy as reciting English alphabets!
Ask her about her other interests, and prompt comes the response, “I like to play badminton and basketball and have mastered classical notes of violin and love playing the instrument.”
Her favourite subjects? “I am very keen on Science, Mathematics and Social Studies. Also, the atlas, the globe and maps have always fascinated me and I aspire to someday be a scientist so that I can utilise my knowledge for the development of mankind,” she utters with the ease of a master.
Profile:
• Meghali Malbika Swain was born on February 7, 2006, to mother Nabanita and father Prafulla Kumar Swain in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.
• She studies in Grade 5 in Sai International School, Bhubaneshwar.
• Draw a line resembling a major river on a blank map and Meghali will not only identify the river, but also explain from where it originates and where it falls and gives detailed account of cities situated on the river bank.
• She achieved the feat of entering into the India Book of Records at an event held at Odisha Administrative Service Association Bhavan in January, at the age of 10.
• She is recipient of several awards and honours.
• She aims to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.
