From engineering to origami: A decade of paper folding and Guinness world records

A fascination with transforming a simple sheet of paper into intricate, three-dimensional forms has taken GITAM Hyderabad alumna Shivali Srivastava on a decade-long journey in origami. What began as a creative pursuit in 2016, while she was studying for a B.Tech in Computer Science, has grown into a sustained effort involving more than two lakh origami and quilled pieces created alongside her mother, Kavita Srivastava.

According to Shivali, the mother-daughter team has achieved 31 Guinness World Records. Their creations include paper animals, everyday objects, flowers and other intricate forms, with some projects involving thousands of individual pieces assembled into large displays.

For Shivali, the appeal of origami lies in the transformation of a flat sheet of paper into a complex structure through geometry, concentration and precise folding. The initial curiosity gradually developed into a long-term pursuit, driven by a desire to explore the possibilities of the art form.

Creating large-scale displays involves more than folding paper. Each piece must be made carefully and consistently, followed by counting, organising and assembling the creations. The process requires sustained concentration, planning and coordination, particularly when thousands of similar pieces must come together as one display.

One of the team’s most demanding projects involved creating more than 6,500 origami bats. Shivali said each bat took approximately 15 minutes to fold to the required standard. The use of black paper made the creases difficult to see, requiring her to rely on touch to check the alignment of each fold. The wings also needed to be symmetrical, making consistency essential throughout the project.

The effort involved in such projects has continued alongside Shivali’s academic and professional responsibilities. Balancing origami with her engineering studies required careful time management and prioritisation. She said the experience helped her become more efficient in managing her time and switching between different responsibilities.

Shivali now works at IBM on projects related to Adani while continuing her origami journey. Despite the number of pieces she has created, she says the excitement of turning a simple sheet of paper into a three-dimensional object remains unchanged.

Family support has been central to the effort. Her mother works alongside her in producing the pieces and meeting daily targets, while her father, Anil Srivastava, has also supported the journey. Shivali credits their continued involvement with helping the team sustain its work over the years.

She has also acknowledged GITAM University’s support, noting that the institution has been part of her journey since the team’s first Guinness World Record in 2016.

Her other milestones include the Presidential Gold Medal at GITAM’s 2020 convocation for her Computer Science engineering batch, the Rising Star Award from ISBR in 2021, the Pride of Telangana Award in 2022 and the GITAM Alumni Excellence Award in December 2025. She was also featured on the cover of Teenager Today magazine in 2020.

For Shivali, origami remains an ongoing creative pursuit shaped by patience, repetition and the possibilities of working with paper. A decade after she began, the process of creating something new from a single sheet continues to motivate her work.

-Arti Adke

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The Hans India