The sixty-five seconds
The record is a transition problem as much as a musical one. The anthem itself is short; playing it across fifteen instruments inside sixty-five seconds means the hands have to leave one instrument and arrive correctly on the next with almost no margin, fourteen times over.
The performance is listed in the India and Asia Book of Records. The report, published on 3 April 2025 by Raajwrita Dutta, gives the count as fifteen instruments and the time as sixty-five seconds, and it is the anchor fact of the page.
The instruments, and the training
The article credits her with sixteen instruments played currently and reports that she had worked through forty-two by the age of twelve. Piano, tabla, ukulele and flute are the ones named. The two figures describe different things — a working repertoire against a running total — and the piece does not reconcile them.
The training is formal on both sides of her range. She was pursuing the grade seven piano examination with Trinity College London, the British conservatoire board, and studying tabla at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, the Indian classical music institution. A separate feat is recorded alongside the anthem: the Shiv Tandav, a demanding devotional piece, performed blindfolded for more than thirteen minutes.
What the article says about her family
The story is told in the source as one of survival as well as of music. The Better India reports that her father threw her from a window when she was one month old, in the article's account because he regarded daughters as a burden. That is the outlet's published statement, it is repeated here once because it is central to the piece, and nothing is added to it.
Her mother, who is not named in the report, left full-time employment to work freelance so that the music could continue. Niyati's own line about it is short: "It's about proving that no one can silence me, or Ma, my greatest role model."
What is documented — and what is not
Firm: the fifteen-instrument anthem in sixty-five seconds and its listing in the India and Asia Book of Records, the blindfolded Shiv Tandav of more than thirteen minutes, the Trinity College London grade seven piano work, the tabla study at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, and her home city.
Not documented: her mother's name, her school, any concert programme, any audio or video verified here, and the exact instrument count, which the article gives two ways. The India and Asia Book of Records is a commercial registry rather than an adjudicated competition, which is worth knowing when weighing the listing.
Why multi-instrument records are judged differently
A record built on breadth invites a fair objection: fifteen instruments played for four seconds each is not fifteen instruments mastered. The answer in this case is in the other material. Grade seven with Trinity College London is an examined standard, set and marked by an external board, and tabla at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya is a formal course of study rather than a party trick.
The registry entry is the headline; the graded examination is the evidence. Read together they describe a musician with a genuine depth in at least two traditions, and a stunt record that draws attention to it. Both are reported here, and neither is asked to carry the weight of the other.
Watch: Niyati Chetransh on camera
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li-sa-X | Japan | Viral shred guitar covers from the age of eight | Age 0 |
| Olly Pearson | United Kingdom | Fourth place in the Britain's Got Talent 2025 final | Age 0 |
| Niyati Chetransh | India | Playing India's national anthem on 15 instruments in 65 seconds | Age 12 |
| Calysta Bevier | United States | Winning Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer on America's Got Talent at 16 (2016) | Age 16 |
| Ayla Tesler-Mabé | Canada | Viral guitar covers; Fender endorsee | — |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- National anthem on 15 instruments in 65 seconds, listed in the India and Asia Book of Records (The Better India, 3 April 2025)
- Shiv Tandav performed blindfolded for more than 13 minutes
- Working towards grade seven piano with Trinity College London and studying tabla at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- The instrument count is given two ways in the same article: 16 played, 42 covered by the age of twelve
- Her mother is not named, and no school or concert programme is identified
- The listing body is a commercial record registry, not an adjudicated competition
- No recording of the 65-second performance has been verified here
Questions people ask about Niyati Chetransh
What is Niyati Chetransh's record?
Playing the Indian national anthem on fifteen instruments in sixty-five seconds, listed in the India and Asia Book of Records.
How many instruments does she play?
The Better India gives sixteen played currently, and reports that she had covered forty-two by the age of twelve. The two figures are not reconciled in the article.
How old is Niyati Chetransh?
She was thirteen when the April 2025 profile was published. No source gives her date of birth.
Where is she from?
Delhi.
What is she studying?
Grade seven piano with Trinity College London, and tabla at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.
What is the Shiv Tandav performance?
A devotional piece she performed blindfolded for more than thirteen minutes, reported alongside the anthem record.
Who raised her?
Her mother, who is not named in the report, and who left full-time work to freelance so that Niyati's music could continue.
Is Niyati Chetransh on Wikipedia?
No Wikipedia article was found for her. The Better India profile is the only source used here.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Niyati’s story?
How many instruments did Niyati Chetransh use for the anthem record?
How long did the anthem performance take?
Which board's grade seven piano examination was she working towards?
Sources
- Abandoned as a Baby, Today, This 13-Year-Old Maestro Plays India's Anthem on 15 Instruments — The Better India, 2025-04-03
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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