World’s ‘largest diya’ on Diwali eve

GUWAHATI: The “world’s largest” diya (earthen lamp) was lit on the banks of the historic Dighalipukhuri tank here on the eve of the festival of lights, Diwali, on Saturday evening.
Assam Governor, Jagdish Mukhi did the honours dedicating the occasion to nature and with a clarion call to shun single-use plastic.
According to the organisers of the campaign,“Ek Diya Prakirti Ke Naam”, the diya has a diameter of 96 inches and is 30 inches tall with a capacity of holding about 800 litres of oil.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Mukhi recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the nation to totally ban single-use plastic from cities and villages of the country by the year 2022. “India is a land of festivals and one of the most popular festivals is Diwali. This festival of lights symbolises the spiritual ‘victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.’ On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, let us light a diya in the name of nature. Let us take pledge to shun single-use-plastic,” he said.
Speakers at the programme, appealed to people to pour a spoon-full of oil into the diya as a token of pledge to avoid single-use plastic.
The diya will stay illuminated at the venue till Thursday, giving people an opportunity to take a pledge to protect nature and reject single-use plastic in daily life.
Officials from the Kamrup (metro) District administration and Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) were felicitated for their initiatives to promote the cause of reducing the use of single-use plastic. Several activists and organisations promoting the cause of environment were also felicitated during the campaign.