Ayodhya was all about festivities on Wednesday as a procession with vibrant tableaux bearing characters from Ramayan made its way through the temple town as part of the eighth Deepotsav celebration. At its conclusion, the procession carrying the mythical characters was received with an 'aarti' by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who also pulled the chariot on which artistes playing Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman were seated.
As a part of the celebrations, which comes a day ahead of Diwali, lakhs of diyas were illuminated along the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya. CM Yogi Adityanath also offered prayers at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak are also present along with him.
The Yogi Adityanath-led UP government is set to light 25 lakh diyas on the banks of Saryu river on Wednesday evening. The diyas were laid out in squares of 16 - some in special patterns even as laser lights were set up to mark the historic evening.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Deputy CMs Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya reached Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya, where an exhibition was organised displaying art pieces depicting Ramayan.
In an addition from the last year, 1,100 people performed a special 'aarti' on the banks of the river.
The Deepotsav aims to showcase the spiritual, traditional, and cultural essence of the holy city, with performances by artists from six countries -- Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia -- along with a Ram Leela presentation from Uttarakhand.
The UP CM also extended Diwali greetings to the people, calling it an important festival of the Sanatan Dharma tradition in India.
"Thousands of years ago, in memory of the arrival of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and the beginning of Ramrajya, devotees across Bharatkhand started celebrating this festival by decorating their homes with garlands of lamps, " a statement by the CM read.
Speaking before the 'Deepotsav' celebrations, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said, "This is the first Deepotsav after the Pran Pratishtha program of Lord Shri Ram. There is a wave of happiness among the devotees of Lord Ram...Today more than 25 lakh diyas will be lit and a world record is going to be created again."
The police and civic administration have implemented robust security measures monitored by Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar for the celebrations.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office, in a social media post, said, "The preparations for Deepotsav are in the final stages... the work of placing lamps is ongoing... trials for laser, sound, and drone shows are in progress."