Last year, around 15 lakh diyas were lit during the grand Deepawali Deepotsav in Ayodhya on the occasion of Diwali.

Diwali 2023: The holy city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh is all set to storm into the record books as the temple city is all set light up around 24 lakh diyas (earthen lamps) at 51 ghats (river banks) during the grand Deepawali Deepotsav which is currently underway on the occasion of Diwali.

The temple city, where a grand Ram Mandir is being built which is scheduled for a grand opening in January 2024, was decked up in lights during the ongoing Diwali festivities.

The Grandest Ever Deepotsav in Ayodhya

2017 👉 1.7 lac 🪔
2018 👉 3 lac 🪔
2019 👉 4 lac 🪔
2020👉 6 lac 🪔
2021 👉 9 lac 🪔
2022 👉 15 lac 🪔
2023 👉 24 lac 🪔

Welcoming Prabhu Shri Ram with more than 2 million Diyas this Diwali pic.twitter.com/2apfpZ2Ojv

— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) November 11, 2023

Around 25,000 volunteers from Avadh University and the Ayodhya district administration have been roped in to light the diyas at the same time. The team from the Guinness Book of World Records will be counting the lamps with the help of a drone camera.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: ‘Deepotsav’ celebrations underway in Ayodhya as firecrackers lit up the night sky.#Diwali pic.twitter.com/KfnzOmodBJ

— ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2023

On Saturday morning, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh flagged off a tableau procession from Saket Degree College depicting the craftsmanship of artisans throughout the state. The tableaus– seven from the UP tourism department and 11 from the state’s Information Department– reached Ram Katha Park in the afternoon and showcased various inspiring tales from the Ramayana epic.

The procession also featured dance performances from various parts of the country such as Dhobiya dance from Azamgarh, Kullu Nati from Himachal Pradesh, Gatka and Bhangra dance from Punjab, Garba from Gujarat, Dhol Tasha from Nagpur, Rouf from Kashmir valley, among others.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Visuals of the under-construction Ram Temple in Ayodhya which has been decorated for ‘Deepotsav’. pic.twitter.com/UhuaFFuQaI

— ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2023

Later, the grand Deepotsav programme in Ayodhya was kicked off by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who along with Governor Anandiben Patel took part in pulling a chariot carrying artistes depicting the fabled return of Lord Ram, his wife Sita and brother Lakshman to Ayodhya on a Pushpak Viman’ after 14 years of exile.

Flowers were also showered on them from a helicopter.

High Commissioners and Ambassadors of more than 50 countries have also been invited to the Deepotsav.

According to an official statement, Lord Shri Ram’s brothers Bharat and Shatrughan welcomed them.

From the helipad, Lord Shri Ram boarded the chariot and proceeded towards the venue of Ramkatha Park along with Mata Janaki, his three brothers, Lord Hanuman and Guru Vashishtha.

Apart from Governor Anandi Ben Patel and the chief minister, ministers Jaiveer Singh, Rakesh Sachan and Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra performed the Aarti and paid their respects.

Chief Minister Adityanath also performed the symbolic coronation of Lord Shri Ram.

#WATCH | Ayodhya, UP: CM Yogi Adityanath says, “When the programme for the Deepotsav began, it felt as if every person had only one wish and that was the construction of the temple (Ram Temple)…” pic.twitter.com/MuMYtgm6nY

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 11, 2023

On this occasion, the governor and the chief minister released a coffee table book based on the Deepotsav of Ayodhya.

After the formation of the BJP government under the leadership of Adityanath in 2017, for the first time a grand festival of lights was started in Ayodhya and 51 thousand lamps were lit.

This is the seventh time that the Deepotsav festival is being organised here. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also participated in this event.

In the 2022, 15.76 lakh lamps were lit at Ram ki Pauri in Ayodhya making a Guinness world record.

(With inputs from agencies)