The Deepotsav Festival in Ayodhya is a celebration of Diwali on a larger than life scale. This year, the festival will take place on October 26 and has been accorded the status of a State Fair. With the UP Government is planning to break its own record by lighting 5.5 lakh earthen diyas in Ayodhya this year, it will be a spectacle to behold.
In 2018, Ayodhya broke a Guinness World Record by lighting more than three lakh diyas, and keeping them lit for 45 minutes.
DEEPOTSAV 2018
According to reports, this year around 4 lakh diyas will be lit at Ram Ki Paidi – the bathing ghat built on the banks of the Saryu river, while the rest of the diyas will be lit at various religious locations in Ayodhya. A ‘Ram Ka Darbar’ will also be set up at Ram Ki Paidi.
Reports also reveal that another grand set-up at the amphitheatre-style Ram Katha Park is being built to look like the grand palace. A symbolic rajya abhishek (coronation) ceremony of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman will be performed there, followed by the aarti of Saryu river. Ramlila by artistes from Indonesia, Nepal, Phillipines, Sri Lanka and India will be performed. The story of Lord Rama will told through a sound and light show using Projection Mapping techniques. There will also be a grand fireworks show.
WHEN TO GO
For Lucknowites wanting to witness the Deepotsav, the best plan would be to travel by car to Ayodhya on the morning of November 26. Ayodhya is almost 140 km away from Lucknow, and the distance can be covered in a span of 2.5 hours approximately.
After witnessing the celebrations in Ayodhya, you can return to Lucknow the same evening.
