Ayodhya is set to break its own Guinness World Record for the ‘largest display of oil lamps’ by lighting over 24 lakh diyas which will illuminate 51 ghats of the Saryu during Deepotsav celebrations. Last year, the city had broken its own record with over 15 lakh diyas.
The preparations for the celebrations are in full swing and the stage is set for the celebrations which will see representatives of 41 countries from embassies in India in attendance alongside Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Ayodhya. The three-day event begins today.
The Deepotsav tradition in Ayodhya began in 2017.
How will Guinness track the number of diyas?
The celebration will see authorities lighting up 24 lakh earthen lamps, however, taking cue from last year, it is safe to say that not all the diyas will be counted by the Guinness World Records. In 2022, Ayodhya saw over 17 lakh diyas being lit across the ghats of Ram ki Paidi, but only those lamps which kept burning for five minutes were taken into consideration and the record was set with 15.76 lakh diyas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest at the last Deepotsav in October.
A team from the Guiness Book of World Records will be present for the event. About 25,000 volunteers will light the lamps and the team will count them with the help of a drone camera.
At 10 am today, people were scheduled to start pouring oil in the lamps, with each person given 1 litre of mustard oil bottles to fill 30 lamps.
Depostav 2023 preparations
Diwali has always seen a grand celebration taking place across India and the Deepostav celebrations see nothing less than grandeur.
Ahead of the seventh Deepostav, a cultural procession was taken out in Ayodhya. The procession, which started from the Udaya Square and passed through various parts of the city to reach the Ram Katha Park, included eighteen tableaux with their themes rooted in Ramayana, the Ramcharitmanas and various social issues.
It also saw folk artistes and ‘aartis’ being performed. The procession was flagged off by Uttar Pradesh Minister of Tourism and Culture Jaiveer Singh and the tableaux were made by the state’s tourism and information departments.
Several security measures have been put in place for the celebrations.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who will be a witness to the lighting of the lamps, today participated in Rajabhishek ahead of Deepotsav.
He, along with Governor Anandiben Patel, worshipped artistes portraying Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, and Lakshman during ‘Deepotsav’ celebrations at Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya.
The celebrations have started and it’s now only a matter of moments before Ayodhya breaks another record.
