OCTOBER 27, 2019
Devotees light earthen lamps on the bank of Saryu River during Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya on Saturday, October 26. (Photo: PTI)
The majestic Ram Ki Paidi wore a celestial look on Saturday as 410,000 diyas or earthen lamps were lit on the banks of the Saryu River in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya as part of the BJP government’s Deepotsav celebrations this year, breaking last year’s Guinness World Record.
Fiji’s minister Veena Bhatnagar, the chief guest at this year Deepotsav, or festival of lamps, lit the first earthen lamp as chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel and several ministers of the state government looked on.
Around 450,000 diyas were placed at the Ram Ki Paidi for a Guinness World Record on this Deepotsav and out of this, 410,000 diyas were successfully lit creating a Guinness World Record. While, 201,000 lakh diyas were lit in other parts of the temple town.
More than 5000 students of the Ram Manohar Lohia Awadh University in Faizabad, volunteered to make the event successful at the historic Ram Ki Paidi.
The moment Bhatnagar lit the first lamp, these volunteers at the ghat lit more than 400,000 diyas giving heavenly look to the majestic ghat.
A team from the Guinness World Record was present at the ghat to judge the event.
Thousands of people from Ayodhya and nearby districts came to the temple town to witness the Deepotsav event.
Hundreds of temples dotting Ayodhya were also lit up for the festive occasion and the entire town was decked with colourful lights for the event.
The Yogi Adityanath government celebrated Deepotsav in Ayodhya for the first time in October 2017, about seven months after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the state in March 2017. The event was also held last year. Kim Jung-sook, the first lady of South Korea, was the chief guest at the event.
As many as 300,152 lakh earthen lamps were lit on the occasion, creating a world record.
“After the BJP government came to power in the state (March 2017), Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya have catapulted Ayodhya at the centre stage of international tourism,” said Ramakant Singh, 47, who to witness Deepotsav at Ram Ki Paidi.
Special fountains were placed at Ram Ki Paidi for the event and diyas were lit at all crossings and government-run primary schools in the town.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath felicitated several artistes and organisations who have contributed to Ram Leelas across the country.
The grand finale of Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya was through Ram Leelas of Indonesia and Nepal.
Before the lighting of the diyas, a tableau procession of Lord Rama was taken out on Saturday in the presence Adityanath.
The three-day Deepostav celebrations began in Ayodhya on Thursday. On the second day, several cultural events were organised at Guptar Ghat and Bhajan Sthal. Artists from Indonesia and Nepal performed Ram Lila.
Folk songs of Bihar and folk dance of Chhattisgarh were also major attractions on the second day.
On the day of Diwali on Sunday, saints will light 150,000 earthen diyas in the Ramkot area – all the temples and houses in the periphery of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid campus.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas had sought permission from the divisional commissioner of Faizabad division, Manoj Mishra, to light diyas at the disputed site and rest of the campus on Diwali. However, they were denied permission.
