Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be in Ayodhya for the Deepotsav celebrations, pay obeisance to Ram Lalla at Ram Janmabhoomi and light earthen lamps at Ram Ki Paidi even as the administration will strive to set another Guinness World record on November 13 by lighting 551,000 diyas on 28 ghats of the Saryu.
Presiding over a meeting on Friday evening, the chief minister issued instructions for elaborate celebrations in Ayodhya on the occasion.
Outsiders, however, will not be allowed for Deepotsav and people would be encouraged to light a diya virtually at Ram Ki Paidi from their homes. It will be the fourth consecutive Deepotsav in Ayodhya.
Last year, the Ayodhya administration created a world record by lighting 410,000 earthen lamps. Not just Deepotsav, outsiders would not be allowed to participate in other attractions of the town, like Kartik Purnima Mela, Panch Koshi and 14 Koshi Parikramas, an official said.
The borders of Ayodhya will be sealed from November 11 and only locals will be allowed to take part in the ceremonies.
“No outsider will be allowed in Ayodhya this year on Deepotsav, Kartik Purnima and other festive occasions. All these events will be restricted to locals only,” said MP Agarwal, the divisional commissioner of Ayodhya.
The five-day Deepotsav celebrations will begin in Ayodhya on November 12, followed by formal inauguration of the main event on November 13, the day before Diwali. Other festive events will continue till Kartik Purnima on November 30.
The Ayodhya administration was anticipating the presence of a large crowd this year on Deepotsav and Kartik Purnima as construction work of the Ram temple has begun.
Every year, a large number of people visit Ayodhya from the nearby districts, including Barabanki, Basti, Amethi, Gonda and Ambedkar Nagar for the Deepotsav celebrations. For Kartik Purnima, people assemble on the banks of the Saryu for ritual bathing in the river.
Ayodhya’s deputy inspector general of police Deepak Kumar will coordinate with police chiefs of the adjoining districts.
The Ayodhya police will create a WhatsApp group, which will have police personnel from the adjoining districts too. The step is being taken for the quick sharing of information.
The Ayodhya police will start checking the entry of vehicles from November 11 onwards.
This year, the Ayodhya administration will strive to break last year’s record and around 8,000 students from Ram Manohar Lohia Awadh University and the degree colleges of Ayodhya will be trained for the purpose.
