Modi gets world's largest birthday card

Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a unique gift on his birthday Sep 17. The school where he studied in his hometown in Gujarat made him the world's largest greeting card with birthday wishes in 23 languages, his brother said Saturday.

The 14.3-metre-wide and 16.2-metre-long card was specially crafted by students of the B.N. High School in Vadnagar where Modi studied from Class 8 to 11, the prime minister's elder brother Somabhai Modi told IANS.

Birthday wishes in 23 languages were written on the card, he said.

The prime minister turned 64 Sep 17.

Somabhai also said the Namo Tea Stall Owners' Association of Ahmedabad contributed a day's income of Rs.70,500 for relief measures for the flood-affected people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said followers, fans and friends of Prime Minister Modi had planned to celebrate his birthday by presenting a 3.5-tonne steel sheet as a birthday card.

But to honour the prime minister's message not to celebrate his birthday and contribute to flood relief in Kashmir, the plan was dropped.

Guinness World Records officials have been contacted who will send the details of the birthday card to Britain for confirmation of the record.

The current record for the biggest birthday card was registered March 21 this year in Dubai. That card was 10.29 metres long and 14.8 metres wide.