Deepotsav in Ayodhya shines with two Guinness records: Most diyas lit; largest aarti performed together

UP Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh and Principal Secretary Amrit Abhijat presented the Guinness certificate to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The first Guinness award was given for the largest display of oil lamps (26,17,215) achieved jointly by the UP Department of Tourism, the Ayodhya administration, and the Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University.

Another award was given for the most number of people performing ‘aarti’ simultaneously. The tourism department, the district administration and the Saryu Aarti Samiti in Ayodhya jointly achieved this feat, the statement said.

Over 32,000 volunteers from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University and local organisations made the feat possible.

The Drone show along the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya as part of the grand Deepotsav celebrations on the eve of Deepawali, in on Sunday (ANI Photo)

The night sky came alive with a drone show featuring 1,100 indigenous drones, recreating Lord Ram’s divine form and scenes from the Ramayana, a visual treat that left devotees awe-struck.

The evening culminated in a grand aarti at Ramkatha Park, where Adityanath, cabinet members, and saints worshipped Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Lakshman, Bharata, Shatrughna, and Hanuman. As “Ram Aaye Awadh Ki Or Sajni” echoed in the background, flowers were showered from a helicopter, and the symbolic coronation of Lord Ram filled the air with devotion and pride.

Earlier in the day, 22 tableaux depicting episodes from the Ramayana and performances by artists from Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, along with over 2,000 Indian performers, captivated visitors. The streets were adorned with flowers and rangolis conveying messages of prosperity.

Deepotsav was first organised in 2017 after the BJP came to power in UP. Since then, the number of diyas being lit has increased every year – from 1.71 lakh in 2017 to 15.76 lakh in 2022 to 26.17 lakh this year.

“Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deepotsav has transcended from being a festival of light to a festival of pride and identity. The entire world today sees Ayodhya as the living embodiment of Ram Rajya, where faith, discipline, and development shine together,” the tourism minister said.

“Every diya lit here reflects the spirit of a Viksit Uttar Pradesh and a Viksit Bharat,” he added.

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