New Delhi: Ahead of Diwali, Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh was decked up with bright lights and laser show was organised as part of the Deepotsav celebration.
In a bid to recreate the ambience of the period of Ramayana that resembles the vibe of ‘Tretayuga’ this Diwali, Ayodhya set up ‘Ramayana Gates’ and tableaux across the city, news agency ANI reported.
The city has been decked up with hoardings and banners from the Ramayana period to take the tourists down history lanes on the festive occasion.
“As Diwali is approaching, the preparations have also been intensified. From Ayodhya Highway to Nayaghat, 30 different kinds of welcome gates with different names are being prepared for Deepotsav,” an official statement said.
Notably, some of the welcome gates have been named ‘Ram Setu Dwar’ and others as ‘Bharat Dwar’. The gates have been named after every mythological character associated with the epic, including Sita Dwar, Shabari Dwar, Ahilya Dwar, Jatayu Dwar, Hanuman Dwar, and Lavkush Dwar.
“Selfie point has been made near the statues of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan, Hanuman on Ram Ki Paidi,” the statement further said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali on October 23 for the Deepotsav celebrations, marking his presence for the first time on the occasion in the city.
As many as 66 projects worth Rs 4,000 crores will be launched on the occasion.
Notably, volunteers were asked to arrange oil lamps along ‘Ram ki Paidi’, a series of ghats on the banks of the Saryu River, on Friday.
A total of 5,000 volunteers were roped in for the task who started their work under the supervision of ghat coordinators.
“The sixth Deepotsav is all set to break its own previous records making it historic. The volunteers began lighting diyas on Friday around 10am. All the volunteers wore Deepotsav ID cards around their necks and caps. The volunteers’ chanting of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in between the task demonstrates their eagerness for Deepotsav,” an official statement read.