Ayodhya lights up with over 24 lakh diyas for Deepotsav celebrations

Digital Desk: The Uttar Pradesh government celebrated the seventh "Deepotsav," or Diwali, at Ayodhya with great grandeur and enthusiasm. A magnificent Deepotsav procession with eighteen heavenly tableaux portraying the life of Lord Ram inaugurated the festivities. The march, which began at Udaya Square and ended in Ram Katha Park, featured religious artwork from artists in several states.

On this auspicious occasion, the under-construction Ram Temple was embellished, and worshippers flocked to the Ram Janamabhoomi to offer prayers to Lord Ram. Minister of Tourism and Culture Jaiveer Singh led the parade and declared that he was certain he would light the most diyas ever, breaking the previous record.

Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Anandiben Patel, the governor, took part in the ceremonial hauling of a chariot, which represented Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya following his 14-year exile. The chief minister honoured Lord Shri Ram symbolically, highlighting the role the Ram Temple played in creating "Ram Rajya" in India.

At 51 ghats of the Saryu river, over 22 lakh traditional diyas lighted the city simultaneously, creating a global record. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Path was decked out in a variety of flowers as part of the festival. The Guinness Book of World Records crew supervised the event, which involved organising over 25,000 volunteers to ignite the diyas at the same time.

This achievement demonstrated the grandeur of the Deepotsav and earned Chief Minister Adityanath a certificate. Ayodhya's cultural message resonated globally as envoys from over 50 nations attended the occasion.

In his remarks on the occasion, Adityanath discussed how, in the last seven years, Deepotsav has grown from a small-town festival to a major national and worldwide affair. According to him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lay the groundwork for "Ram Rajya" ever since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by constructing the Ram Temple.

People from the Pakur district of Jharkhand as well as tribal people from other areas came to the huge Deepotsav in a show of solidarity. The Jharkhand Pradesh Shri Ram Janaki Charitable Service Trust led a group of 48 tribal people who came barefoot to take part in the celebrations.