The “gods” literally descended from the heavens in Ayodhya on Wednesday afternoon as part of a grand Diwali celebration in the holy city led by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Artistes dressed as Ram,Sita and Lakshman arrive by helicopter for the UP government’s Diwali celebrations. (ANI Twitter)
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Artistes dressed as Ram, his follower Hanuman and wife Sita touched down at the Ram Katha Park in a helicopter, replicating the victorious journey of the trio by the Pushpak Vimana, a mythical flying chariot, as detailed in the Ramayana.
Adityanath then welcomed them and carried out a symbolic coronation of Ram, dressed in traditional attire with a glittering headgear. Overhead, a helicopter showered flowers on the gathering.
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The show was part of a Diwali gala that saw hundreds of temples in Ayodhya illuminated with decorative lights. This is the first time that a chief minister is in Ayodhya for the festival that the faithful believe marks Ram’s return to Ayodhya after a 14-year exile.
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The show was part of a Diwali gala that saw hundreds of temples in Ayodhya illuminated with decorative lights. This is the first time that a chief minister is in Ayodhya for the festival that the faithful believe marks Ram’s return to Ayodhya after a 14-year exile.
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The state tourism department in association with the Avadh University and the district administration are aiming to set a new world record by lighting more than 171,000 earthen oil lamps on the stairs of the Sarayu ghats at Ram ki Paidi on the Diwali eve.
“How can grandest Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya be complete without the use of modern day ‘Pushpak Viman’ (helicopter) that Lord Ram used to reach Ayodhya after victory over Ravan,” Ved Prakash Gupta, the BJP MLA from Ayodhya, told Hindustan Times on Tuesday.
Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him.
He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust.
He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commission
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