Yogi Adityanath inaugurates Deepotsav

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday inaugurated the Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya and attacked Opposition parties for their stand during the Ram Temple movement, saying that lamps are now being lit where bullets were once fired.

“During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in this very Ayodhya, Congress said Ram is a myth, while the Samajwadi Party fired bullets at Ram devotees. Today, Uttar Pradesh does not have to face an identity crisis. We are now lighting lamps where bullets were once fired,” Mr. Adityanath said after inaugurating the Deepotsav in the temple town, where he performed Rajyabhishek [coronation] of Ram and Sita, including pujan.

Amid a shower of flowers and resonant Vedic chants, Mr. Adityanath worshipped Lord Shri Ram before personally pulling the divine chariot with the saints and leading the procession forward. He then performed the aarti and the symbolic coronation of Lord Ram, seeking his blessings.

From Ramkatha Park to Ram Ki Paidi, Dharampath, Lata Chowk, and Hanumangarhi, millions of diyas illuminated Ayodhya in a celestial glow. Every street, ghat, and building reverberated with chants of “Jai Shri Ram.” Devotees lit lamps, sang bhajans, and captured the spectacle on their cameras.

The Deepotsav in Ayodhya this year featured more than 2.6 million lamps lit at 56 ghats along the banks of the Saryu River, including Ram Ki Paidi. A world record of 2.611 million lamps was set, with the Guinness World Records team present to document the achievement.