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The margins of the Saryu river lit up with a record 2.5 million diyas as the evening progressed in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 setting the perfect tone for the first Deepotsav celebration since the consecration of the Ram temple.
The maiden Diwali after 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 established when 1,121 people performed simultaneous aarti.
Just the day before, on October 29, 2024, a team of 30 members led by Guinness World Records consultant Nischal Barot had begun counting the diyas on the 55 ghats of Saryu.
The volunteers had arranged 2.8 million diyas along the river, while a special team of 2,000 people oversaw the lighting of 250,000 of these small oil-filled pots.
About 80,000 diyass were arranged in the shape of a swastika, the Hindu religious symbol.
A host of vibrant religious and cultural programmes was performed on the occasion.
This included a musical and dance drama depicting the story of Lord Ram at the main stage of the Deepotsav at the Ramkatha Park on the banks of the Saryu.
Ramlila, the traditional play based on Lord Ram's life, was performed by artistes from six countries -- Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Glimpses from Deepotsav 2024 In Ayodhya
Yogi Prays At Ram Temple
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
