Residents of Ujjain, India, beat the Guinness World Record by lighting over 1.8 million lights during the Hindu festival of Mahashivratri.

18,82,229 "diyas", oil lamps made from clay or mud, were lit.

On the occasion of Mahashivratri, Madhya Pradesh’s temple town Ujjain on Saturday created a Guinness World Record by lighting over 1.8Million Earth Lamps as part of the 'Shiv Jyoti Arpanam 2023' programme. The people of the city set a new world record by lighting 18,82,229 ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps filled with oil) simultaneously at Ramghat, Dutt Akhara Ghat, Narsing Ghat, Gurunanak Ghat, Sunhari Ghat, and Bhukimata Ghat of river Kshipra breaking the record of 15 lakh 76 thousand lamps lighted in Ayodhya last year.

Maha Shivratri, which translates to 'the great night of Shiva', is considered one of the most auspicious festivals in the country. Earthen lamps were also lit in the city's temples, commercial places, and homes, besides the banks of the Kshipra River and important intersections and spots. The prominent places in Ujjain were lit with electrical decorations and rangoli (colourful patterns). The entire programme in Ujjain on Mahashivratri this time was based on the "zero waste" principle with more than 20,000 volunteers participating in this programme.

On Mahashivratri last year, 11,71,078 earthen lamps were lit in Ujjain. Now, an attempt was made to set a Guinness world record by lighting 2.1 million lamps.