New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined the ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programme at Kartavya Path on September 17, as around 1.25 lakh earthen diyas were lit to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday. The event was organised as part of the Delhi government’s month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’.
The large-scale lamp-lighting ceremony turned Kartavya Path into a sea of lights, with the diyas arranged to display the words ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’. Gupta participated in the ceremony along with members of the public and other officials.
Rekha Gupta Lights Diya For PM Modi
Gupta lit a diya and extended birthday wishes to Prime Minister Modi, praying for his long life and good health. According to reports, the Chief Minister said the occasion was an opportunity for people to express their blessings and gratitude on the Prime Minister’s birthday.
The event was attended by Delhi BJP president and Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, NDMC Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal and other BJP leaders and officials.
Part Of ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’
The diya-lighting programme was one of several events organised in Delhi around Modi’s birthday. The month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan also included welfare and public-participation programmes.
Before the evening ceremony, Gupta participated in a mega blood donation camp at Thyagaraj Stadium. According to the Delhi government, the camp collected 2,080 units of blood. She also launched Delhi’s official organ-donation portal and pledged to donate her organs.
Other programmes included the launch of Namo Shramik Seva Kendra, a 108-kund yajna and various public initiatives.
1.25 Lakh Diyas Illuminate Kartavya Path
The 1.25 lakh diyas were the centrepiece of the evening celebrations. The Delhi government had earlier announced that beneficiaries of government schemes and other participants would take part in the lighting ceremony, while residents were encouraged to light a diya at home between 6 pm and 7 pm.
The Union Ministry of Culture also organised a separate ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programme at Purana Qila on September 17, with Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurating the event.
The celebrations across Delhi were held alongside events in several other parts of India to mark Modi’s birthday and his 25 years in public life.
The ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ ceremony at Kartavya Path became one of the major visual highlights of the birthday celebrations in Delhi.
