Gujarat will illuminate more than 88 lakh lamps at over 18,500 locations on 17 September 2026 as part of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', a state-wide celebration marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday. The programme, announced by Minister and government spokesperson Jitu Vaghani on Wednesday, will see lamps lit at 7 pm alongside evening aarti at temples across the state.

Scale and Structure of the Programme

The celebration, branded the 'Aashirwad No Divdo' programme, will kick off with Bhajan Sandhya, satsang, and cultural events from 6 pm onward. The event architecture spans three tiers: major city-level programmes, parallel Bhajan Sandhya events, and thousands of localised gatherings at neighbourhood venues.

In 17 municipal corporations, 17 major city-level programmes are planned with an expected combined attendance of 2,76,000 people. An additional 17 Bhajan Sandhya programmes are projected to draw 4,75,000 attendees, while 12,481 local programmes across 287 wards of these corporations are expected to see 15,95,000 participants.

In municipality areas, 152 major city-level programmes are planned with an expected attendance of 5,25,000. A further 5,740 locations will host local events, and 152 additional Bhajan Sandhya programmes are expected to attract 5,75,000 people. In total, the joint arrangements comprise 169 major programmes, 169 parallel events, and 18,508 local programmes.

Venues and Key Attendees

Lamp-lighting events will be held at a wide range of public spaces, including temples, lakes, rivers, town squares, gardens, milk dairies, Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), and sites featuring statues of eminent personalities.

Senior political leaders will attend events at key locations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will be present at the programme at Kankaria Lake, Ahmedabad. Legislative Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary and state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Jagdish Vishwakarma will attend at Ambaji.

In Surat, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will attend the event at Olpad, while Union Minister C.R. Paatil will be present at Navdi Ovara. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will attend at Hirasar in Rajkot. In Bhavnagar, Vaghani will attend at Bor Talav, and Minister of State Nimuben Bambhaniya will be present at Karchaliya Para.

Welfare Drive Running Alongside Celebrations

In parallel with the lamp-lighting events, a public welfare campaign will run through the month to facilitate citizen access to government schemes, including Ayushman Bharat, grain distribution, and farmer welfare initiatives. The stated aim is last-mile delivery to beneficiaries across the state.

Vaghani appealed to citizens across Gujarat to light a lamp at their homes and participate in the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, reaffirming the state government's commitment to the 'Viksit Bharat @ 2047' vision.

The scale of the birthday observance underscores the political significance Gujarat — Modi's home state — continues to place on public expressions of support for the Prime Minister, with this edition notably expanding venue count and expected footfall compared to previous years.