 "Record 2.5 million diyas set the tone for Ram temple's first Diwali")
The margins of the Saryu River lit up with a record 2.5 million 'diyas' (earthen pots) as the evening progressed in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali on Wednesday, setting the perfect tone for the first ‘Deepotsav’ celebration since the consecration of the Ram temple.
The maiden Diwali after the much-awaited January 22 consecration is expected to draw nearly a million devotees and tourists to the temple town.
The Uttar Pradesh government, which has been celebrating Diwali eve as ‘Deepotsav’ for the past seven years, deployed 30,000 volunteers to light up more than 2.5 million 'diyas'.
This earned UP and UP Tourism a new Guinness World Record for the largest display of lighted oil lamps, and in the process surpassing its feat set last year of more than 2.2 million. Another Guinness record was made when 1,121 people performed simultaneous ‘aarti’.
Sporting a saffron turban, which was complimented with his signature saffron attire, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the 'aarti' to commemorate the mythological homecoming of Lord Ram in Ayodhya after a 14-year exile on Diwali.
The chief minister was flanked by Union culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and UP deputy CM Brajesh Pathak.
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Just the day before, on Tuesday, a team of 30 members led by Guinness World Records consultant Nischal Barot had begun counting the 'diyas' on the 55 ghats of Saryu in the presence of supervisors, ghat coordinators and volunteers.
The volunteers had arranged 2.8 million 'diyas' along the river, while a special team of 2,000 people oversaw the lighting of 2.5 lakh of these small oil-filled pots.
About 80,000 'diyas' were arranged in the shape of a ‘swastika’ (Hindu religious symbol). The earthen pots were arranged in blocks of 16x16 on each of the 55 ghats, with each block containing 256 'diyas'.
A host of vibrant religious and cultural programmes was performed on the occasion. This included a musical and dance drama depicting the mythological story of Lord Ram at the main stage of ‘Deepotsav’ at Ramkatha Park on the banks of Saryu.
Ramlila, the traditional play based on Lord Ram's life, was performed by artistes from six countries viz. Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Artistes from across India including Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Telangana, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab etc. showcased a rich variety of folk dances.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that this year’s Diwali was special as Lord Ram is now seated in his grand temple.
Speaking via video conferencing after distributing appointment letters under the flagship Rozgar Mela, Modi said, “I extend my heartfelt greetings to all the citizens on Dhanteras. In two days, we will also celebrate Diwali, and this year’s Diwali is special. After 500 years, Lord Ram is seated in his grand temple in Ayodhya, and this will be the first Diwali celebrated with him in his magnificent temple.”