AYODHYA — Ayodhya's Ram Temple will be illuminated with one lakh diyas during Deepotsav, the Uttar Pradesh government said, as the festival entered its 10th year under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The temple trust has divided the entire complex into five zones for the event, with around 1,000 volunteers tasked with lighting the lamps. Preparations to implement the plan on the ground will be completed over the next five days, a government statement said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Deepotsav was strengthening both faith and the local economy by creating livelihood opportunities for potters, farmers, labourers and small traders. "Every lamp lit during the festival brought hope to a family," Adityanath said in a post on X in Hindi. "But before the year 2017, this light was absent. No initiative was taken to connect the immense cultural potential of Ram Nagari with the prosperity of local artisans, farmers, and small traders."
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the festival illuminated by millions of lamps was creating new work and business opportunities for potters, labourers and small traders, Adityanath added. The very diya that makes Ram Nagari sparkle also kindles hope for prosperity in the home of a hardworking family, he said.
Adityanath invited people to Ayodhya to witness the celebrations, describing the garland of lamps adorning the banks of the Saryu and the twinkling of millions of lamps on Ram ki Paidi as if the Akash Ganga had descended upon the city. Drone displays and participation of artists added to the festival's splendour.
The chief minister also urged people to help disadvantaged families celebrate Diwali. "I particularly wish to urge each one of you: if there is any deprived family in your neighbourhood, illuminate their Diwali according to your means. Gift them lamps, sweets, and new clothes to bring joy into their lives. This is the true spirit of Deepotsav. By purchasing lamps and products from local artisans, encourage their hard work," he said.
The 10th Deepotsav in Ayodhya celebrates faith and cultural pride while supporting local artisans, farmers, labourers and small businesses. The order for 33 lakh diyas for this event indicates that Deepotsav has moved beyond religious tradition into a vast horizon of opportunities for potters whose wheels had slowed in the race towards modernity. Potters from districts including Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh, extending to Bundelkhand, have been shaping and sending diyas weeks in advance.
Ayodhya's Deepotsav has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records, an achievement the government says acknowledges the respect devotees of clay have earned. When millions of diyas illuminate the ghats of the Saryu, it will not merely be a celebration of Treta Yuga memories but also honor the hands that shaped the clay and made this light possible.
(Reporting from Ayodhya)
