Ayodhya is all set for the fourth Deepotsav on Friday as the administration plans to set a new Guinness World record of lighting 551,000 earthen diyas at 28 ghats in the temple town. Last year, a Guinness World Record was also made when 410,000 earthen lamps were lit up on the banks of the Saryu river. A bulk of diyas will be lit up at the renovated Ram Ki Paidi ghats, where chief minister Yogi Adityanath and governor Anandiben Patel will preside over the event.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government started Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya when it was voted to power in 2017.
Eight thousand students from Ram Manohar Lohia Awadh University and colleges in Ayodhya have been trained to create the Guinness World record. But participation in all public events has been restricted because of the pandemic. The entry of outsiders has also been prohibited.
On Deepotsav, around 300 temples and maths will be lit up. At the under-construction Ram Temple, around 21,000 diyas will be lit on Saturday.
In view of increasing air pollution, there will be only a laser display of firecrackers at Deepotsav. “This year Deepotsav will be digital,” said Navneet Sehgal, the additional chief secretary. A laser show on Lord Ram’s arrival in Ayodhya after 14 years of exile will also be held. Dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, and Kathak will also be displayed through a laser show.
The state tourism department has launched a campaign on Twitter to reach out to a larger audience for the Deepotsav celebration.
This year’s Deepotsav celebrations are special as they would be the first after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Ram Temple construction in the Ayodhya, paving the way for its ground-breaking ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ceremony.
