Ayodhya to light 500,000 Diwali lamps

Around 500,000 earthen lamps (or diyas) will be lit in Ayodhya - the temple town in Uttar Pradesh - on the eve of Diwali this year, aiming to create a new world record.

In 2018, Ayodhya broke a Guinness World Record by lighting over 300,000 earthen lamps and keeping them burning for 45 minutes on the banks of river Saryu, for Diwali celebrations. Hundreds of potters are making ‘diyas’ for the mega event in which Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath will participate. An estimated 25,000 litres of oil will be used to light the diyas. Y P Singh, director of Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan, said that diyas would be lit from Bharat Kund to Guptar Ghat on the banks of the Saryu river. All the temples would also be lit with diyas. The ‘Deepotsav’ festival in Ayodhya, this year will be held from October 24 to 26.

Besides the banks of the Saryu, temples and monuments will also be illuminated. There will be street lighting and “maha aarti” on the Saryu Ghats. A light-and-sound fireworks show, cultural programmes, a drone show and the arrival of Lord Rama and Sita by helicopter are also planned to make Diwali celebrations bigger this year.

“This year, the ‘Deepotsav’ will be grander and we will make a new record. Tourists from all over the country are expected to witness the event,” said an official. Ayodhya is sacred as the birth place of Lord Rama.