Top Recommended Stories

Yogi Adityanath’s Grand Diwali Celebrations: Uttar Pradesh Government to Lit 2 Lakh Diyas at Ayodhya

New Delhi, Oct 16: The Uttar Pradesh Government led by Yogi Adityanath has planned mega Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama. Diwali is widely believed to be a celebration of

Updated: October 16, 2017 4:08 PM IST

By India.com News Desk

Yogi Adityanath
सीएम योगी आदित्यनाथ. फाइल फोटो.

New Delhi, Oct 16: The Uttar Pradesh Government led by Yogi Adityanath has planned mega Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama. Diwali is widely believed to be a celebration of Lord Rama return to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile.  The state government is planning to make a new Guinness record by lighting around two lakh diyas (earthen lamps) on the banks of the Saryu River. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister will reach Ayodhya, a day before Diwali.

Highlights

  • The diyas will be lighted in two patterns- First will represent bow and arrow, while the other pattern will depict the sign of Swastik
  • To make the festival memorable, students from Faizabad's RML Awadh University have been roped in as volunteers

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister spoke to Zee News and said the celebrations had nothing to do with the Ramjanmabhoomi dispute. He steered clear of controversy and said the matter was in the Supreme Court and the state government wasn’t a party to it.

You may like to read

Here are five key takeaways from what Yogi Adityanath said:

  • Ayodhya is a part of our heritage and it will be a unique event for us when we’re able to link it to Ramayana and present Ayodhya to the world.
  • Our mission is the development of the whole of Uttar Pradesh linked to our heritage. We want to establish a meeting point between the ancient and the modern.
  • Uttar Pradesh government isn’t party to the Ayodhya dispute. We are not interfering in the disputed area and whatever the Supreme Court decides should be acceptable to all.
  • Thousands of years ago Ayodhya was a developed city. To link Ayodhya to its illustrious past is a matter of pride for us.
  • The Supreme Court ruling on September 30, 2010 has answered everyone and was historic. The court is going to hold daily hearings from December 5. We believe that the outcome from the ongoing hearing would be good and one that is inline with popular sentiments.

Mwanwhile, to make the festival memorable, students from Faizabad’s RML Awadh University have been roped in as volunteers. Apart from that sixty potter families including children and women are also busy preparing around two lakh diyas in Ayodhya’s Jaisingh area to celebrate the Diwali with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (Also Read: Ready to Meet Anyone to Resolve Ayodhya Issue, But Matter is in Supreme Court, Says UP CM Yogi Adityanath)

The diyas will be lighted in two patterns- First will represent bow and arrow, while the other pattern will depict the sign of Swastik, says the officials taking care of the grand programme.

While talking to CNN-News 18,  Professor Manoj Dixit, Vice Chancellor of RML Awadh University Faizabad said,”All the diyas (lamps) will have to be kept burning for five minutes to make it a world record. The Guinness World Record has been asked to burn 1.54 lakh diyas from them, but we have set a target a bit more than what is required. The main motive behind this event is to register it in history and record books and to make it famous just like Banaras Ki Holi and Dahi Handi festival of Maharashtra.”

Reportedly, around one lakh lamps have been made by the potters so far and they are determined to complete the project in the given time. Apart from Adityanath, the event will be graced by deputy CMs Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya, tourism minister Rita Joshi and delegates from the Centre.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.