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Deepotsav: Ayodhya basks in glow of twin records
26.17 lakh earthen lamps lit at Saryu ghats, 2,128 people perform ‘aarti’ together, Guinness certificate handed over to CM Yogi Adityanath
Two new world records were set at the ninth edition of the Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya on Sunday as 26.17 lakh diyas were lit at 56 ghats on banks of the Saryu, including the majestic Ram Ki Paidi, and 2,128 people performed ‘aarti’ together for the grand festivities.
Sunday’s achievement surpassed the 2024 record of 25,12,585 diyas set at the eighth Deepotsav where 1151 people had performed the aarti.
Representatives from the Guinness World Records made the announcement after verifying the count of the diyas using drones, the state government said in a statement.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath lit the first lamp at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex on Sunday around 5.30pm, unlike the previous years when he illuminated the first lamp at Ram Ki Paidi.
Uttar Pradesh tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh and principal secretary Amrit Abhijat presented the Guinness certificate to the chief minister later in the evening.
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 Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University.
The other award was given for the most number of people performing ‘aarti’ simultaneously on the Saryu banks. The tourism department, the district administration and the Saryu Aarti Samiti in Ayodhya jointly achieved this (second) feat, the statement said.
Around 33,000 volunteers from Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University lit diyas along the 56 ghats throughout Ayodhya, where around 28 lakh diyas were laid.
The number of diyas has risen every year from 1.71 lakh in 2017, 3.01 lakh in 2018, 4.04 lakh in 2019, 6.06 lakh in 2020, 9.41 lakh in 2021, 15.76 lakh in 2022, 22.23 lakh in 2023, and 25.12 lakh in 2024, the government said.
As the official announcement of the new Guinness Record was made at Ram Ki Paidi, Ayodhya’s skyline was lit up with firecrackers.
Around 100 experts brought to life various characters of Ramayan as the event at Ram Ki Paidi presented the story of Lord Ram through projection mapping, laser effects, fireworks, music, and storytelling. It featured new visuals, storyboard and animation.
Images of Lord Hanuman and Maharishi Valmiki were also part of the show. Choreographed musical drone presented 3-D holographic musical laser show.
A graduation student, Raman Pal, who came all the way from Bahraich, for Deepotsav with his friends, said, “It is the first time I am attending Deepotsav in Ayodhya. The entire show was amazing, especially the laser show, drone and cracker show at Ram Ki Paidi.”
Girish Yadav, who came from Sultanpur with his family members, said, “I cannot express in words my feelings after experiencing this amazing show at Ram Ki Paidi.”
The entire Ayodhya was decked up for Deepotsav as temples, buildings and historical monuments were adorned.
