They stand out wherever they go and now India's tallest family is hoping to set a new world record with their combined height.

The Kulkarnis, from the city of Pune in the east of the country, tower above their countrymen.

Sharad Kulkarni, 52, stands at 7ft 1.5ins tall and his wife Sanjot, 46, is 6ft 2.6ins tall.

Their daughters Mruga, 22, and Sanya, 16, are 6ft 1ins and 6ft 4ins respectively.

The family's combined height is a staggering 26ft.

Mr and Mrs Kulkarni were crowned India’s tallest couple by their country’s Limca Book of Records after they married in 1989.

They had hoped to be named the world's tallest couple by the Guinness Book of Records, until it emerged that Wayne and Laurie Hallquist, from Stockton, California, stand a combined inch taller at 13ft 4ins.

Mr Kulkarni said: 'We were a little disheartened. It’s nice to have recognition when you live your life being so different. It ends up meaning something. But we’re excited about new prospects.’

Growing up, Mr and Mrs Kulkarni faced years of teasing and ridicule.

‘But when I met Sanjot I was happy she was well over 6ft. I knew we’d be happy together.’

The couple married in December 1988. A year later Limca Book of Records pronounced them India’s tallest married couple.

Now, along with their two grown-up daughters Mruga and Sanya, they hope to have the chance to be the world’s tallest family.

Mruga said: ‘I’m so excited. We love being tall.

'So many people would love to be taller. I hear girls moan every day about their short height but we’re so happy and content.’2

Both Mruga and Sanya want to be models and hope that their height could give them a huge advantage in the industry.

Mruga said: ‘At the moment we’re studying and working hard on our exams but we’re trying to apply to model agencies and build up a portfolio.

'We hope our height helps us get a long career in modelling. Husbands are a long way away yet.’

The Kulkarnis have wardrobes full of custom-made clothes and shoes. Shopping on the high street is impossible. Their shoe sizes range from 8 to 12 and they often order their footwear online from Europe.

Their house has been adapted to meet their needs - they had to change all the door frames from 6ft to 8ft high.

They have customised their furniture including beds, wardrobes, kitchen shelves, and even the height of the toilet.

But they never use public transport, preferring to travel on scooters. When flying is necessary, they ask for a front seat or emergency exit row.

Mruga said: ‘It’d be easier if we lived in Europe and lived around European open-mindedness. India can be very narrow-minded. But I wouldn’t change a thing.’

Guinness Book of Records does not currently have a tallest family category but would consider it.

Spokesman Anne-Lise Rouse said: ‘We do monitor this category so we’d like to know of any family that could potentially set this record and we’d then advise them.’

Source : dailymail

Towering head and shoulders above her parents this giant teenager is the tallest in the world at a whopping 6ft 10 ins and she could still be growing.

Weighing in at 20.5 stone, Malee Duangdee from eastern Thailand knew she was different from a young age, growing much faster than her school friends.

At the age of nine her mother, Ji, 40, took her to see a doctor because she noticed a difference between her daughter and her friends and she wanted to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong with her.

Medics found a brain tumour that was pressing on a nerve. This caused a hormone imbalance meant she never stopped growing and now has an injection worth £2,000 every three months to control her growth.

Her height brought the 18-year-old problems while she was at school and she suffered from bullies and has memories of a lifetime of loneliness.

She said: 'I used to feel like a freak, schoolchildren used to bully me and call me names. But since leaving school I've tried to feel more comfortable with who I am. I've got used to life on my own, but it's hard.'

As a result of her brain tumour Malee has lost her sight. 'I've been tall for as long as I can remember and taking medication is part of my daily life. But as I've got older my eyesight has got worse and it's really difficult for me to get around.'

Her mother said that they try to do their best by their daughter, but they struggle financially: 'The injections have really helped to control her growth but they are expensive.

'She is supposed to have an injection every three to six months, but we can't always afford them so we are not sure if she's still growing.'

Malee's condition appears to be under control for the moment and since leaving school her life has turned round.

'All the kids used to call me names, the one I could never understand was "Dirty Malee". They were always so nasty.

'It would make me so sad. I was desperate to have some friends to play with but they all ignored me. Thankfully I had a good teacher who tried to help me and now I have nothing to do with them.'

Most of her time is now spent with her family, particularly her three-year-old sister, Daoruang.

'I help my mother around the house and cook meals. Or I'll cycle to see my aunt in the next village. I don't do much.

'I've never had a boyfriend. I don't think marriage is possible for someone like me, I'm just too different.

'My father gets very worried about me, he doesn't let me go anywhere alone because sometimes I need help getting up, I'm pretty heavy.

'But I'd love to be like any other 19-year-old and live alone, build a life for myself and have fun but who knows what will happen.'

Malee was officially recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest girl in January 2009 knocking Brazilian Elisany Silva off the top spot. She was just 6ft 9ins tall.