Ayodhya (UP), Oct 30 (PTI) Ayodhya was transformed into a breathtaking spectacle on Wednesday as it gleamed with the light of 25,12,585 diyas along the banks of the Saryu river in two world-record setting feats during the eighth edition of Deepotsav on Diwali eve.
This was the first Deepotsav since the consecration of the Ram Lalla temple on January 22, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath leading the celebrations, along with his cabinet colleagues and Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The records that were set were for the largest display of oil lamps and most number of people performing an "aarti" simultaneously, representatives of the Guinness World Records declared in the evening.
Adityanath said the transformation of Ayodhya is a proof of the "double-engine government delivering on its promise" and asserted that a similar transformation must also happen in Kashi and Mathura by 2047, when India celebrates 100 years of independence.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also hit out at the opposition for "becoming barriers" in the government's growth agenda.
"Just like mafia dons, these barriers would also be eliminated," he said.
Adityanath said Ayodhya's transformation was "just the beginning" and part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for the development of the heritage of Sanatan Dharma and taking it to the global stage.
"This is the first festival of lights after 500 years, after our beloved Lord Shri Ramlala has been re-installed in his grand temple. This divine and magnificent form of Shri Ayodhya Dham, illuminated with a wonderful and supernatural aura, is making all of us feel the Treta Yuga. Today Ayodhya is happy, entire India is proud. Hearty congratulations and salutations to all Ram devotees participating in 'Deepotsav 2024'! Hail Lord Ram!" Adityanath said in a post on X.
In another post, which was shared by Modi as well, the chief minister said, "On the auspicious occasion of 'Deepotsav-2024', 'Rammay' Shri Ayodhya Dham has once again set a world record for lighting the maximum number of lamps, and has hailed the Sanatan culture by lighting more than 25 lakh lamps.
"Along with this, 1,121 devotees have set another world record by getting the privilege of performing the aarti of Maa Saryu ji simultaneously. Congratulations to everyone for this achievement earned through the blessings of respected saints/religious leaders and the efforts of devotees and Ram bhakts! Hail Lord Ram!"
Chants of "Jai Jai Shri Ram" echoed through the air during the day. The entire city was beautifully adorned for Deepotsav, with the temples, narrow lanes, main streets and all government and religious buildings glowing with dazzling lights.
Houses throughout the city also shone brightly, adding to the festival's breath-taking beauty as 500 drones, laser lights, cultural programmes and tableaux on Ramayana took the celebrations to unprecedented levels.
Alongside Uttar Pradesh, artistes from places such as Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Telangana, Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Nagpur, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Chandigarh, Goa and Odisha showcased glimpses of their unique folk cultures, enriching the Deepotsav experience with diverse traditions.
According to government estimates, more than 35 lakh lamps illuminated Ayodhya. Of these, 25,12,585 lamps were lit on 55 ghats, including Ram ki Paidi, along the Saryu river.
Deepotsav saw 1.71 lakh diyas in 2017, 3.01 lakh in 2018, 4.04 lakh in 2019, 6.06 lakh in 2020, 9.41 lakh in 2021, 15.76 lakh in 2022 and 22.23 lakh in 2023, the government said.
The grand spectacle was made possible by more than 30,000 volunteers from the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, local colleges, inter-colleges and voluntary organisations, it added.
Adityanath, Shekhawat, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, among others, performed an "aarti" for Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan, Hanuman and the revered sages at the Ram Katha Park.
Adityanath first had "darshan" of Lord Ram, then paid his respects at his feet, according to a statement from the government.
"After this, the Chief Minister lit lamps in front of the Lord. The Chief Minister also lit five lamps outside," the statement said.
The hashtag "SabkaUtsavAyodhya_Deepotsav" trended on X.
Earlier in the day, a procession with vibrant tableaux carrying artistes depicting characters from the Ramayana made its way through the temple town as part of the eighth Deepotsav celebrations.
At its conclusion, the procession carrying the mythical characters was received with an "aarti" by Adityanath, who also pulled the chariot on which the artistes playing Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman were seated.
The characters were brought to Ayodhya earlier in a helicopter, in a nod to the mythical Pushpak Viman referred to in Ramayana.
Eighteen tableaux depicting episodes from the Ramcharitmanas were showcased during the procession, which moved stately from the Saket Mahavidyalaya to the Ram Katha Park to the sound of firecrackers and bursts of gulal.
The floats were inaugurated by state Culture and Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, MLA Ved Prakash Gupta and Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi.
Saket College students illustrated the "Putrayeshti" yagna and Ram's coronation, taken from Ramcharitmanas, in their tableaux. Folk artistes narrated the depictions live.
For this year's Deepotsav, Saket Mahavidyalaya had crafted 18 stunning tableaux, 11 by the information department and seven by the tourism department.
The tourism department's tableaux depicted scenes from Bal Kand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sundar Kand, Lanka Kand and Uttar Kand, taken from Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas.
Special displays illustrating key episodes in Ram's life -- his education and marriage to Sita, the forest exile, Bharat Milaap, Shabri's devotion, Ashok Vatika, Hanuman's journey to Lanka, Lakshman's injury from the Shakti arrow, Ravana's defeat and his grand return to Ayodhya -- were also mounted during the procession.
"We are representing the culture of our state and are feeling blessed," said Sakshi, a participant hailing from Jammu and Kashmir.
Vishal Sharma, another participant from Jammu and Kashmir, said he was grateful to be a part of the first Diwali celebrations after the Ram temple's consecration.
Iqbal Ansari, a litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, welcomed the procession. "It is a moment of joy for everyone as it is a festive occasion. We are also celebrating like others," he said.
Officials said an order for the diyas was placed with the local artisans. The government had made arrangements to host around 5,000 to 6,000 people at the ghats. Forty jumbo LED screens were set up to beam the event live.
Deepotsav featured performances by artistes from Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia and a staging of Ram Lila from Uttarakhand.
When Adityanath became the chief minister in 2017, he envisioned grand and divine Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya. Since then, the festival has grown in scale each year. Beginning with 1.71 lakh lamps in 2017, the illumination has soared to an impressive 25,12,585 lamps in 2024, casting a radiant glow across Ayodhya. The lighting of more than 25 lakh lamps together set a new world record for the largest oil-lamp display, Guinness World Records adjudicator Pravin Patel announced.
The other record was set for the first time -- the highest number of people performing an "aarti" simultaneously, with 1,121 vedacharyas rotating diyas along the Saryu, Patel said.