Guwahati: The nation embraced the “festival of lights” on Monday, with leading political figures extending warm wishes for harmony and prosperity, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a distinct call for consumers to prioritize domestically manufactured “Swadeshi” products. Meanwhile, the city of Ayodhya marked the festive season by achieving a new Guinness World Record for the largest display of oil lamps.
Prime Minister Modi conveyed his greetings via a post on X, wishing that Diwali would “illuminate our lives with harmony, happiness and prosperity” and that a “spirit of positivity prevail all around us.” Beyond traditional felicitations, the Prime Minister emphasized an appeal to Indian consumers to support local artisans and manufacturers. He urged the public to celebrate the “hardwork, creativity and innovation of 140 crore Indians” by purchasing Indian goods, sharing their purchases on social media with the phrase, “Garv Se Kaho Yeh Swadeshi Hai!”
Complementing the Prime Minister’s message, President Droupadi Murmu extended her “heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all Indians, both in India and across the world.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah conveyed a prayer to Lord Shri Ram for “the health and prosperity of all,” while Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla encouraged a pledge “to work for the development of the nation” and “bring a smile to the faces of people.” Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari also echoed the sentiment, stating, “We must adopt Swadeshi and use only products made in our country.”
From Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described Diwali as a “sacred symbol of the eternal victory of truth, righteousness, and positivity,” noting that the festival is a “beacon of hope in the soul, a pulse of harmony in society, and a resolve for national resurgence.” Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad also extended his greetings, praying for happiness, prosperity, and brightness in people’s lives. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wished for the festival to fill lives with joy and urged citizens to “come together to promote love, brotherhood, harmony, and goodwill, and confront injustice, ignorance, and discrimination unitedly.”
Adding a spectacular flourish to the celebrations, Ayodhya created a new Guinness World Record on the eve of Deepotsav. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department and the Ayodhya District Administration collaborated to light an astonishing 2,617,215 oil lamps (diyas) along the banks of the Saryu River, in what was recorded as the largest-ever Saryu aarti and the largest display of oil lamps in the world.
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