PM Modi's birthday: 1.25 lakh diyas lit at Vijay Chowk on Sewa Diwas
Synopsis
On PM Modi's 75th birthday, the NDMC turned Vijay Chowk into a sea of light — 1.25 lakh earthen diyas stretching from Kartavya Path to Sewa Teerth — while Finance Minister Sitharaman broke ground on a 10,000-sapling Miyawaki urban forest in Lodhi Colony, blending political symbolism with a tangible green infrastructure push.
Key Takeaways
NDMC marked PM Modi's birthday on 17 September as 'Sewa Diwas' , lighting 1.25 lakh diyas at Vijay Chowk .
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta , Union MoS and Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra , and NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal attended the lamp-lighting ceremony.
Around 5,000 participants took part, including beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat , Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana , and PM SVANidhi .
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated 'Bharat Vann' at Lodhi Colony Park using the Miyawaki Method ; 10,000 native saplings are to be planted.
The events were organised as part of the broader 'Seva Maah' initiative tied to PM Modi's birthday month.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday, 17 September marked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday as 'Sewa Diwas', organising the ceremonial lighting of 1.25 lakh earthen lamps (diyas) at Vijay Chowk in the evening. The event, held under the broader 'Seva Maah' initiative, drew around 5,000 participants including beneficiaries of Central Government schemes, NDMC employees, students, and teachers.
Key Dignitaries at Vijay Chowk
The lamp-lighting ceremony was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister of State and Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra, and NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal, along with other state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries. The diyas were arranged to stretch from Kartavya Path to Sewa Teerth, with visual patterns and messages representing various welfare schemes formed through their placement.
Miyawaki Forest Inaugurated at Lodhi Colony
In a separate event to mark the occasion, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated 'Bharat Vann' — a dense urban forest being developed using the Miyawaki Method — at Lodhi Colony Park by planting a sapling. She was joined by NDMC Chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi and Vice Chairman Chahal. Chahal stated that 10,000 native saplings would be planted at Bharat Vann using this method, which is known for creating dense, fast-growing green patches in urban settings.
Sitharaman noted that the initiative, undertaken with the support and guidance of R. K. Nair, aims to develop the forest using fruit-bearing and shade-giving species suited to Delhi's local environment. 'Beyond enhancing the quality and beauty of the neighbourhood, the initiative will contribute to improving Delhi's urban environment by supporting cleaner air, increasing green cover and strengthening the ecological balance of the area,' said Dwivedi.
What Officials Said
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, speaking after the 'Aashirwad Ka Diya' ceremony, said PM Modi has rendered continuous service to 140 crore citizens. 'On the occasion of his birthday, all of us Indians can only express our gratitude for his services by extending our blessings to him — blessings that convey our wishes for his long life, good health and eternally energetic life,' she said.
NDMC Chairman Dwivedi called the collective lighting of 1.25 lakh diyas at Vijay Chowk 'a symbol of service, dedication and the spirit of nation-building', adding that 'the glow of these lamps will further strengthen the resolve of service and inspire citizens to move towards building a Viksit Bharat.' Vice Chairperson Chahal described the programme's objective as conveying 'the message of service, dedication, public participation and nation-building through the symbolic lighting of earthen lamps.'
Welfare Scheme Beneficiaries at the Centre
Beneficiaries of flagship welfare programmes including Ayushman Bharat, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, and PM SVANidhi participated in the Vijay Chowk event. Patterns and messages representing each of these schemes were created through the arrangement of diyas, underscoring the event's intent to link citizen outreach with the symbolism of the occasion.
Point of View
Rather than mere spectators, layers a populist optics dimension onto what is formally an NDMC programme. The Miyawaki plantation at Lodhi Colony is the more substantive element: 10,000 native saplings using a scientifically credible method offers measurable environmental value, though Delhi's track record on sustaining urban green initiatives warrants monitoring. The dual-track event — symbolism at Vijay Chowk, ecology at Lodhi Colony — illustrates how governance and political theatre are increasingly choreographed in tandem.
NationPress
17 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sewa Diwas and why is it observed on 17 September?
Sewa Diwas is observed on 17 September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, as a day of public service and outreach organised by government bodies and the BJP. The NDMC marked this occasion in 2026 by lighting 1.25 lakh earthen diyas at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi.
What happened at Vijay Chowk on PM Modi's birthday in 2026?
The NDMC organised the ceremonial lighting of 1.25 lakh diyas stretching from Kartavya Path to Sewa Teerth at Vijay Chowk on the evening of 17 September 2026. Around 5,000 participants attended, including beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, and PM SVANidhi.
What is the Miyawaki Method used at Lodhi Colony Park?
The Miyawaki Method is a Japanese technique for creating dense, fast-growing urban forests by planting multiple native species in close proximity. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated 'Bharat Vann' using this method at Lodhi Colony Park, with 10,000 native saplings to be planted using fruit-bearing and shade-giving species.
Which senior leaders attended the Sewa Diwas events in Delhi?
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Minister of State and Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra attended the Vijay Chowk lamp-lighting ceremony. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presided over the Bharat Vann inauguration at Lodhi Colony Park, accompanied by NDMC Chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi and Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal.
