Thirty-six lakh diyas lit up the banks of the Saryu at the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya on Saturday. Vice President CP Radhakrishnan inaugurated the grand celebrations. Many students helped arrange the lamps, creating a sea of light that showed the city’s deep devotion to Lord Ram.

Thirty-six lakh diyas lit up the banks of the Saryu at the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya on Saturday as Vice President of India CP Radhakrishnan inaugurated the grand celebrations in the presence of governor Anandiben Patel, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and seers, marking a decade of a festival that has now become synonymous with Ayodhya and its identity as the city of Lord Ram. The 10th edition of Deepotsav also happened to be the last one before the soon-to-be-held 2027 UP assembly polls.

The day's festivities were centred around two main venues -- Ram Katha Park and Ram Ki Paidi -- where tradition, devotion and technology came together in a spectacle watched by lakhs of devotees in person and crores across the country.

The programme began at Ram Katha Park, where the symbolic arrival of Lord Ram, Mata Sita and Lakshman was recreated. As the helicopter carrying the artistes playing Ram, Sita and Lakshman landed at the makeshift helipad, the crowd erupted in chants of 'Jai Shri Ram'.

The vice-president, governor and the chief minister then joined the seers on stage, where cultural performances by artistes from across India and abroad set the tone for the evening. Ramleela troupes from South Africa, Sri Lanka and Laos, along with nearly 2,000 artistes from 13 states, performed episodes from the Ramayana, turning Ram Katha Park into a confluence of cultures united by the story of Ram.

From Ram Katha Park, the dignitaries moved to Ram Ki Paidi, the heart of Deepotsav. It was here that the Vice President lit the first diya, formally setting off the lighting of 30 lakh diyas across 56 ghats of the Saryu.

Within minutes, the ghats transformed into a sea of light. Volunteers, mostly students of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University and other colleges, had spent days arranging diyas in neat grids on the ghats. As the lamps were lit one by one, the reflection of the flames danced on the waters of the Saryu, creating a sight that left the massive crowd spellbound.

The lighting was accompanied by a 3-D projection mapping and laser show at Ram Ki Paidi, a drone show based on episodes of the Ramayana, and musical fireworks at Naya Ghat. A 2,100-drone show lit up the skyline of Ayodhya, depicting scenes of Ram's return, the Ram Darbar and the Ram Mandir.

The 13-km Ram Path from Ayodhya to Lata Chowk, Dharampath and other major routes were decorated with thematic intelligent lighting, LED panels, flowers and rangoli. The Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir was illuminated in colourful lights, drawing thousands of devotees who had arrived since early morning for darshan.

A Shobhayatra, depicting the arrival of Ram, Sita and Lakshman, saw participation from 13 states, with tableaux based on different episodes of the Ramayana becoming a major attraction.

Started in 2017 by the Yogi Adityanath government to recreate the welcome of Lord Ram, Deepotsav has grown into the world's largest oil lamp display, breaking its own Guinness World Record every year.

It began with 1.71 lakh diyas in 2017 and rose steadily -- 3.01 lakh in 2018, 4.04 lakh in 2019, 6.06 lakh in 2020, 9.41 lakh in 2021, 15.76 lakh in 2022 and 22.23 lakh in 2023.

In 2024, the first Deepotsav after the Ram Mandir consecration, 25,12,585 diyas were lit, setting two Guinness records. In 2025, the figure rose to 26,17,215 diyas. This year, the target of 30 lakh diyas has taken the festival to a new high.

Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, UP ministers Surya Pratap Shahi and Jaiveer Singh, minister of state Satish Chandra Sharma, Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi and several MLAs and MLCs were also present.