Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his 76th birthday on Thursday with a spectacular world record-breaking diya lighting ceremony in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, drawing thousands of participants and sparking celebrations across the nation.
The centerpiece event took place on the banks of the sacred Shipra river, where authorities reported that 33.27 lakh diyas — traditional earthen oil lamps — were lit simultaneously in a single attempt. The feat was officially recognised as a new world record, organisers confirmed.
Across Madhya Pradesh as a whole, the number of diyas lit throughout the day reached an astonishing 3.55 crore, officials told the Press Trust of India. The state government had organised programmes in every district, encouraging citizens from all walks of life to participate in the festivities.
In Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami led the celebrations from Dehradun, performing the first puja and aarti in honour of the Prime Minister at the Yamuna Ghat. He later urged residents across the state to light diyas in their homes and neighbourhoods.
Bihar also joined the national celebrations, with roughly 21 lakh diyas illuminated across the state. Cultural programmes, processions, and community gatherings were reported from multiple districts.
Central Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel were also among the prominent leaders who took part in birthday-related functions, though their specific engagements were reported separately from the Ujjain ceremony.
The diya-lighting initiative has become one of the signature ways the current government celebrates Mr Modi's birthday, transforming what might have been a private occasion into a widely shared public event. The choice of Ujjain — one of Hinduism's holiest cities and home to the Kumbh Mela — was seen as deliberately symbolic, linking the celebration to India's cultural and spiritual heritage.
Event organisers said the scale of participation surprised even them, with people gathering from early morning until the lamps were lit after sunset. Security arrangements were stepped up around the Shipra riverfront ahead of the ceremony.
