Ayodhya’s Deepotsav creates Guinness World Records with display of 2.6 million diyas | Watch

Another Guinness award was given for the most people performing ‘aarti’ simultaneously, a feat jointly accomplished by the Tourism Department, the Ayodhya district administration, and the Saryu Aarti Samiti, the statement added.

The dual recognition marks another milestone for Ayodhya’s Deepotsav, celebrated annually as a symbol of faith, devotion, and the city’s deepening spiritual and cultural heritage.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday received the Guinness World Records certificates for both achievements, marking another milestone in Ayodhya’s Deepotsav festivities.

Deepotsav, held annually under the leadership of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, symbolises faith, unity, and devotion. The festival celebrates the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and reinforces the city’s growing identity as a global centre for spirituality and tourism.

Thousands of volunteers from universities and colleges participated in the massive effort, working since early morning to prepare and arrange the lamps. Videos shared online showed volunteers enthusiastically placing diyas along Ram ki Paidi, creating intricate patterns that would come alive at dusk.

Work began with volunteers filling lamps with oil, adding wicks, and setting them in position across the ghats. As evening approached, the lighting ceremony transformed the cityscape into a breathtaking sight, with millions of flames flickering in unison.

To ensure transparency in the record-setting process, Guinness World Records adjudicator Richard Stenning explained that a detailed verification system had been implemented. “Each participant’s entry is tracked using QR codes, and every zone is monitored carefully,” he said.

Officials said the entire area was divided into multiple zones, each overseen by two stewards responsible for ensuring that lamps were properly lit and arranged. Any unlit or misplaced lamps were deducted from the final count to maintain accuracy.

Lamps where bullets once fired: Yogi Adityanath slams opposition

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday hit out at opposition parties over their stance on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, declaring that Ayodhya has moved from conflict to celebration. “Lamps are being lit where bullets were once fired,” he said while inaugurating the ninth edition of Deepotsav in the holy city.

At the grand celebration, Adityanath performed the ‘Rajyabhishek’ (coronation) of Lord Ram and Sita, including rituals such as ‘pujan’, ‘vandana’ and ‘aarti’. He also accused the opposition of rejecting the invitation for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple held in January 2024.

“During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in this very Ayodhya, Congress said Ram is a myth, while the Samajwadi Party fired bullets at Ram devotees,” Adityanath alleged.

“Today, Uttar Pradesh does not have to face an identity crisis. We are now lighting lamps where bullets were once fired,” he said, referring to the 1990 police firing on ‘kar sevaks’ during the Ram temple agitation when the Samajwadi Party was in power under Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The incident, which became a major political flashpoint, was invoked again by Adityanath as he accused the opposition of “appeasement politics.”

Criticising them for declining the Ram temple consecration invitation, he said, “These are the same people who prostrate at Babar’s grave, but when they are invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir, they reject it.”

“These (opposition) are the same people who still try to create communal hatred by adopting the ‘divide and rule’ policy of the British,” he added.

Highlighting the transformation of Ayodhya, Adityanath said the city now reflects “an amazing confluence of development and heritage.” This year’s Deepotsav, he said, saw 1,51,00,000 diyas lit across Uttar Pradesh.

“When we first decided to hold the Deepotsav in Ayodhya Dham in 2017, the intention was to show the world how lamps are lit,” he said. “Today, lakhs of lamps are lit in Ayodhya, which has become a symbol of the resolve of every Indian. These are not just lamps, they also symbolise the victory of faith over 500 years of darkness.”

“The lamp stands testimony to the insults that had to be faced and the battles our ancestors fought in these 500 years,” he added.

“Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram was seated in a tent then, but now as the ninth edition of Deepotsav takes place, Shri Ram is seated in his magnificent temple. Every lamp reminds us that truth can be disturbed, not defeated,” the chief minister said.

Adityanath emphasised that Deepotsav proves “no politics can imprison faith.”

He noted that earlier, only a few thousand devotees used to visit Ayodhya, which was once marked by disorder and neglect. “Now, 6–10 crore devotees visit Ayodhya Dham every year,” he said.

“People feel proud to come to Ayodhya today – from Kashmir, Kanyakumari, Kohima and Kutch,” Adityanath added.

“We have developed Ayodhya in accordance with the resolutions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ayodhya will now establish itself as the spiritual capital of the world, and the faith capital of India,” he said.

He recalled that the Ayodhya temple remained locked from 1950 until 1986, during which “an attempt was made to imprison Lord Ram at his birthplace.”

“But with Lord Ram seated in his magnificent temple, today every Sanatan devotee rejoices with pride that the will of our forefathers has been fulfilled,” Adityanath said.

*With Agency Inputs