India to light up monuments to mark UN anniversary

New Delhi: India will join over 60 nations globally to light up over 200 monuments and other landmarks to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the United Nations on October 24, an official statement said on Friday.

Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Qutab Minar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Shimla railway station will be among the iconic landmarks across the country to be lit up.

"The day marks the anniversary of coming into force of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by a majority of its signatories, the organisation officially came into being," it said.

The world body has urged people across the world to visit these lit-up structures - including buildings, museums and bridges - click pictures and share them on social media sites so that a large number of people could see the same.

"Images of the lit structures will be part of an innovative social media outreach and will be seen by millions of people around the world. We encourage you to visit a participating site in your city and click a selfie," the world body said.

The UN has given a twitter handle and a hashtag to share the selfies.

Please send pictures to: @UNinIndia using hashtag #BlueSelfie and #UN70, it added.

India is among the original members of the United Nations that signed the UN declaration at Washington on January 1, 1942. It participated in the historic UN conference of International Organisation at San Francisco and signed the charter on June 26, 1945.

Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of non-violence, peace and communal harmony have had a lasting influence on the UN. On June 15, 2007, the UN marked October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as the International Day of Non-Violence.