Bhopal, Feb 27 (IANS): On Mahashivratri, Ujjain city, which houses famous Mahakaleshhwar temple, the abode of Lord Shiva, will be lit up with 21 lakh diyas (earthen lamps).

The city will be illuminated at 7 p.m. on Mahashivratri, which is falling on March 1 this year.

All the diyas will be lit for about an hour. For this, training is also being given to the volunteers.

The Ujjain district administration is gearing up to script history by illuminating 21 lakh earthen lamps from Mata Mandir Ghat of the Shipra River to Ramghat.

The administration is planning to get the name of the city registered in the Guinness Book of World Records and Limca Book of Records.

As per the Ujjain district administration, three lakh earthen lamps will be installed at different places, houses and establishments. It will take 12,000 volunteers to light up the diyas. For this, the responsibility has been given to the District Panchayat, Education Department, Municipal Corporation and Smart City.

Ujjain District Collector Ashish Singh said that initially the plans were for illuminating 15 lakh diyas but considering the people's enthusiasm, the number was increased to 21 lakh.

Singh claimed that a rehearsal was done by putting 1,000 diyas on the banks of Shipra river. " A person can light about a 100 diyas. Twelve lakh diyas will be lit at different ghats, 51,000 in Mahakal temple, one lakh at Freeganj tower, other temples including Mangalnath, Chintaman, Kalbhairav, Bhukhi Mata, Harsiddhi temple," Singh said.

An estimated Rs 40 lakh will be spent on the entire exercise.

About 1,500 oil canes are likely to be used.