30 Lakh Diyas, 56 Ghats: Ayodhya Prepares for a Grand Deepotsav Celebration

Ayodhya is preparing for a spectacular celebration of light as the holy city gears up for the 10th Deepotsav, with 30 lakh earthen lamps set to illuminate 56 ghats along the Saryu riverfront. The main celebrations are expected in early November, around November 5-8, with Diwali falling on November 8.

The Uttar Pradesh government has begun preparations for the grand event, with cleaning completed at the designated ghats and marking work underway to ensure the diyas are placed in a systematic pattern.

A formal beginning to the preparations will be made on Friday morning through a bhoomi pujan ceremony amid Vedic chants at ghat number 10 at 7.30 am. Dr Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University Vice-Chancellor Bijendra Singh and senior university officials will attend the ceremony.

The university, which is coordinating the arrangements, has procured 33 lakh diyas against the target of lighting 30 lakh lamps to account for breakage during transportation and placement.

This year's celebrations will cover 56 ghats, up from 55 previously, with the expanded Ram Ki Paidi, Chaudhary Charan Singh Ghat and Bhajan Sandhya Sthal among the locations included in the arrangements.

Officials are adopting a block-based layout to ensure uniform placement of the lamps. The marking process is expected to be completed within three to four days.

Around 35,000 volunteers from 30 degree colleges, 40 intermediate colleges and the university campus will be deployed to arrange and light the diyas. Training is underway, with volunteers assigned responsibilities according to individual ghats.

To streamline deployment and strengthen verification, volunteers will be registered online and issued identity cards featuring QR codes, photographs, contact details and assigned locations. The system is also intended to prevent duplication.

The university and district administration are jointly overseeing the arrangements, including ghat management, volunteer deployment and security, as Ayodhya prepares for another major Deepotsav celebration.