The consecration ceremony of Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday will be marked with the illumination of a million diyas (earthen pots) in the evening of January 22.
‘Ram Jyoti’ will be lit at houses, shops, religious places and historic sites in the temple town in the aftermath of the momentous occasion, which will witness the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath among other dignitaries.
When Lord Ram returned from a 14-year exile, Diwali or the festival of light was celebrated in Ayodhya by the lighting of diyas.
To reprise the mythological occasion, a similar Diwali like environment would be created with ‘Ram Jyoti’ in Ayodhya, which is getting transformed from a sleepy town to a potential tourism hub.
The Yogi Adityanath government has been organising ‘Deepotsav’ for the last seven years in the temple town. January 22 will be celebrated in the same fashion.
Last year, the UP government created a world record by lighting more than 2.2 million ‘diyas’ in Ayodhya on Deepotsav.
The UP tourism department will facilitate the lighting of diyas in 100 temples, prominent intersections, and public places including Lord Ram Temple, Ram Ki Paidi, Kanak Bhawan, Hanuman Garhi, Guptar Ghat, Saryu Ghat, Lata Mangeshkar Chowk etc, a state government spokesperson said.