Ayodhya broke its own record during ‘Deepotsav’ on the eve of Diwali by lighting over 22 lakh diyas across 51 ghats in the city.

The Yogi Adityanath government introduced the tradition of lighting diyas in Ayodhya in 2017. The numbers started with 51,000 diyas in 2017, and went up to 4.10 lakh in 2019, over 6 lakh in 2020, and exceeded 9 lakh in 2021 which established a Guinness World Record.

In 2022, more than 17 lakh diyas illuminated the ghats of ‘Ram ki Pairi,’ but only those that remained lit for five minutes or more were considered by the Guinness Book of World Records, resulting in a record of 15.76 lakh diyas.

During the Deepotsav event, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel pulled a chariot in a symbolizing the legendary return of Lord Ram after 14 years in exile. The CM also conducted the symbolic coronation of Lord Ram. Additionally, a coffee table book documenting the Deepotsav of Ayodhya was unveiled.

This also marks the seventh iteration of the Deepotsav festival in Ayodhya. It may be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the event last year.