Ujjain creates record by lighting 11.71 lakh earthen lamps

Known as the ‘Land of Mahakal, the temple town of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh created a Guinness record by lighting 11.71 lakh clay lamps (diyas), as part of the ‘Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsava’ on the occasion of Mahashivratri on Tuesday. A five-member delegation of Guinness Book of World Records saw the mammoth effort and offered the record certificate to Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Five drone cameras were deployed at the site. Chouhan, accompanied by wife Sadhna Singh, started the effort by lighting 11 diyas and soon after, thousands of volunteers undertook the effort. The Mahakal temple saw 51,000 lamps being lit on the premises and over two lakh devotees offered prayers on Tuesday.  It was a part of the zero waste programme. The clay from the lamps will be used to prepare idols, while the oil left in the lamps will be offered to gaushalas. The plastic used for the I-cards will be used to make chairs and other items for public gardens.