Modi Birthday Focus: Work; Across India, Celebrations Put Modi at the Centre
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his 76th birthday on September 17 with an official schedule dominated by government and development-related engagements, while BJP leaders, supporters and organisations across the country held prayers, service programmes, rallies and other events to mark the occasion. The contrast between Modi’s own public schedule and the wider celebrations became one of the defining features of the day.
Modi began the day by inaugurating the SEMICON India 2026 conference at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. His address focused on India’s ambitions in semiconductor manufacturing and on positioning the country as a trusted global manufacturing hub. Delegates greeted him with birthday wishes when he arrived, but he proceeded with the scheduled official programme.
Later, Modi addressed a West Bengal programme through videoconferencing for the release of an instalment under the Annapurna Yojana. According to reports, around 1.5 crore women were to receive ₹3,000 each through the programme, keeping the second major engagement of his birthday tied to a government welfare initiative.
The Prime Minister subsequently thanked people for their birthday greetings and highlighted the “Ashirwad Ka Diya” initiative. In a message posted on September 17, he said that every blessing strengthened his resolve to serve the country with greater devotion.
Away from the Prime Minister’s official engagements, however, his birthday became the centre of a nationwide network of political, religious and public-service programmes. The BJP designated the occasion as “Seva Diwas” and launched a month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan running from September 17 to October 17, linking the birthday celebrations with the commemoration of Modi’s 25 years in public life.
Blood-donation camps, cleanliness drives, plantation programmes, welfare outreach and other service activities were organised in different parts of the country. The BJP’s broader campaign includes “Seva Mera Yogdan”, encouraging people to undertake voluntary service, along with school competitions, health camps and programmes highlighting government schemes.
Religious observances were another prominent feature. In Varanasi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined special prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, while other leaders including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union minister Chirag Paswan participated in birthday-related programmes.
Varanasi also witnessed a special Ganga ritual in which 76 priests performed prayers and milk abhishek, seeking Modi’s health and long life. Similar prayers and celebrations were reported in other parts of the country, while supporters were encouraged to light lamps under the “Ashirwad Ka Diya” campaign.
In Gujarat, Modi’s birthplace Vadnagar became another major centre of observances. Amit Shah participated in a programme there, while celebrations elsewhere in the state included special prayers and the planned lighting of 76,000 diyas to mark Modi’s 76th birthday.
The scale of the celebrations also generated political criticism. Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that government resources and officials were being involved in birthday-related programmes and questioned the scale of the celebrations. These allegations were presented by the Congress as a criticism of the government’s handling of the occasion; the BJP’s programme, meanwhile, has been framed around service, welfare and Modi’s 25 years in public life.
The birthday therefore produced two parallel images. Modi’s own schedule centred on semiconductors, manufacturing, welfare delivery and official duties, while much of the activity surrounding him consisted of prayers, lamps, rallies, public-service drives and political outreach. The BJP has sought to connect these activities to its larger “seva” campaign and the Prime Minister’s quarter-century in public office.
The celebrations are not scheduled to end with September 17. The month-long campaign is expected to continue through October 17, with October 7 marking 25 years since Modi became Gujarat chief minister in 2001 and the concluding programme bringing together elected representatives under the theme of service and good governance.
