This year Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will receive a really big gift on his birthday -- a kilometre-long greeting card from the people of his parliamentary constituency, Lucknow.

Vajpayee's birthday falls on Christmas, December 25, and the hand-written card, weighing about 170 kg, will be handed over to him in New Delhi.

Conceptualised by local activist Subhash Bhalla, it has been given shape by a team of young calligraphers and artists, who are confident that the card will make it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

"I was looking for a different kind of tribute to Vajpayeeji, who has been much more than a prime minister. I discussed it with my colleagues in the Lucknow Award Association and they were all excited," says Bhalla.

The association honours all those who have contributed to the heritage and growth of Lucknow.

"Well, for us Atalji is also a Lucknowite, since he member of Parliament from this place," says well-known satirist K P Saxena, who heads the association.

Nearly 1500 sheets of white chart paper have gone into making the card and the writing is in indelible ink. "We spent 28 months during which we used around 750 permanent marker pens... we took off on July 13, 2001, and completed it on November 1 this year," Saxena says.

The theme of the card is 'Jeevan Parichay' [Life Introduction]. "It is a sketch of his early life, education, entry into public life, his rise in politics, his forays into journalism and his literary skills..." Saxena says.

"A special feature is excerpts from his historic speech at the United Nations during his tenure as India's external affairs minister in the late seventies," he adds.

Saxena has written on the card that "I have appreciated him in the role of a leader, a guide and a prime minister. But I worship him as an untainted and transparent human being".

Prominent residents of Lucknow have written similar messages on the card.

To ensure convenient handling of the card, an equally unique 8X4X4 steel vault is being fabricated under Bhalla's scrutiny.

Bhalla, however declines to disclose the amount of money that has been spent in making the card. "For me it is priceless and the only input it has is the love, affection and respect the people of Lucknow have for their unparalleled leader," he adds.