Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, 17 September 2026, was bathed in light as 3.55 crore 'Ashirwad Diyas' were ignited simultaneously across the state to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday and formally launch the month-long 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan'. The centrepiece of the celebrations was Ujjain, where 33.27 lakh lamps were lit at once across the city's ghats and heritage sites, setting what organisers claimed was a world record.

Ujjain at the Heart of the Celebrations

The Shipra riverfront and the Mahakal Lok corridor were transformed into a vast sea of flickering lights as the illumination covered Ramghat, Datt Akhada, Kedareshwar Ghat, Sunhari Ghat, Bhookhi Mata Ghat, and Mahakal Lok. At precisely 7 pm, sirens sounded across the city to signal the mass lighting, drawing more than 25,000 volunteers, devotees and citizens to the various ghat locations.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Nabin, state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, and state in-charge Mahendra Singh joined thousands of residents at Ramghat to light the first diyas. The leaders also participated in the Shipra Aarti and offered prayers for the well-being and prosperity of the state's people.

What the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan Entails

The 'Ashirwad Diya' programme was held simultaneously at 845 iconic locations across Madhya Pradesh, with large public turnouts reported at each site, according to a statement from the state BJP. Before the Ujjain event, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and Chief Minister Yadav jointly launched the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan in Indore.

The month-long campaign is framed around public welfare and social participation. Yadav described it as a collective commitment to the development of Madhya Pradesh, with activities designed to take the spirit of voluntary service to every district of the state.

What Leaders Said

'The lighting of lamps is a symbol of people's affection, respect and gratitude for Prime Minister Modi's 25 years of service to the nation and his contribution to nation-building,' Chief Minister Yadav said at the Ramghat gathering.

He added that the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan would carry forward the spirit of service 'through activities focused on public welfare and social participation,' calling it 'a collective pledge to contribute to the development and welfare of Madhya Pradesh.'

Scale and Significance

The 3.55 crore diyas lit statewide represent one of the largest simultaneous lamp-lighting events organised in India in recent memory. The Ujjain leg alone — with 33.27 lakh lamps at multiple heritage ghats — was the scale benchmark organisers cited for the world record claim. This comes amid a broader pattern of BJP-governed states marking Modi's birthday with large-scale public events, a trend that has grown more elaborate with each passing year.

The Madhya Pradesh government has indicated that the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan will continue through the rest of the month, with a series of welfare-focused activities planned across the state's districts.