Why Diwali this year is special for Ayodhya

The Saryu Ghat in Ayodhya was illuminated with 28 lakh earthen lamps on October 30. (PTI)

Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh was bathed in a festive spirit ahead of the grand celebrations for Deepavali in the temple town. A procession with vibrant tableaux bearing characters from Ramayan made its way through the temple town as part of the eighth Deepotsav celebration.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the celebrations in Ayodhya this year are grander than ever before. This is the first Diwali after the consecration of Ram Lalla at the grand temple inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Over 25 lakh diyas will be lit up for the grand Diwali celebrations, which will also feature aerial drone shows.

"Earlier, we used to be sad that Ram Lalla is in a tent... But now, every person is happy that for the first time 'Prabhu' (the Lord) will participate in the Deepavali celebrations from the grand new temple," said Mahant Raju Das of Ayodhya's Hanumangarhi temple.

The opening of the Ram Temple in February this year marked the successful culmination of the decades-long struggle of devotees as well as the fulfillment of one of the core agendas of the Sangh Parivar.

While the festivities in Ayodhya have been grand each time, especially since the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government came to power, the symbolism has only grown after the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case in 2019 that paved way for the construction of the grand Ram Temple.

The seer of the Hanumangarhi temple thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, "Had he not been there, there would have been no Deepotsav, the Ram temple could not have been built, nor the Praan Pratisthaa would be possible." He also showered praises on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, for allocating a "big budget for Ayodhya's development and making efforts to ensure every temple and ‘math’ remain illuminated".

The festivities this year also hold immense political symbolism. The BJP, which hoped to ride on the ‘Ram Temple’ popularity wave and sail through in the Lok Sabha elections this year faced its biggest reality check in Uttar Pradesh.

The party’s tally dropped by 30 seats to 36 — behind Samajwadi Party’s 37 seats. The loss in the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency to SP candidate became talk of the town causing immense embarrassment to the party.

Halfway into his term, CM Yogi Adityanath understands the importance of this electoral loss.

In his address at the culmination of a procession to mark the beginning of the Deepotsav, Adityanath made a veiled reference to the BJP's electoral performance in the state and said "Maat Sita cannot be put through Agni Pareeksha again".

"We said in 2017 that we will make a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. In 2024, we did it. It is now for the people of Ayodhya to unite and come forward. Maa Sita cannot be made to endure Agni Pareeksha again and again."

As the BJP moves at a feverish pitch to mend ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, whose absence made the difference in UP, CM Adityanath has hardened his Hindutva stance in the past few weeks.

His slogan of ‘Batenge to Katenge’ is reverberating in the Maharashtra poll battle. The BJP-RSS joint strategy to “unite Hindus” is turning out to be the mission at hand to mark a revival nationally. And what better way to galvanize Hindu support than Lord Ram and the Ram Mandir.