Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on October 30 that the transformation of Ayodhya town is a proof of the ‘double-engine government delivering on its promise.’ The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also asserted that a similar transformation must also happen in Kashi and Mathura towns of Uttar Pradesh by 2047, when India celebrates 100 years of independence.

Ayodhya was transformed into a breathtaking spectacle on Wednesday as it gleamed with the light of 25,12,585 diyas along the banks of the Saryu river in two world-record setting feats during the eighth edition of Deepotsav on Diwali eve.

This was the first Deepotsav since the consecration of the Ram Mandir on January 22, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath leading the celebrations, along with his cabinet colleagues and Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The records that were set were for the largest display of oil lamps and most number of people performing an “aarti” simultaneously, representatives of the Guinness World Records declared in the evening.

“This is just the beginning and this beginning has to reach its logical conclusion. So by 2047, when the country celebrates 100 years of its independence, Kashi and Mathura must also shine like Ayodhya,” the Chief Minister said.

Kashi, Mathura Court Battles

A court battle is underway for the resolution of the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque row in Varanasi. A similar court case is on over the Krishna Janam Bhoomi and the Shahi Eidgah dispute in Mathura.

Adityanath said Ayodhya’s transformation was “just the beginning” and part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the development of the heritage of Sanatan Dharma and taking it to the global stage.

Adityanath hit out at the opposition saying, “just like mafia dons, these barriers would also be eliminated.”

According to government estimates, more than 35 lakh lamps illuminated Ayodhya. Of these, 25,12,585 lamps were lit on 55 ghats, including Ram ki Paidi, along the Saryu river.

Deepotsav saw 1.71 lakh diyas in 2017, 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, the government said.

Beginning with 1.71 lakh lamps in 2017, the illumination has soared to an impressive 25,12,585 lamps in 2024, casting a radiant glow across Ayodhya. The lighting of more than 25 lakh lamps together set a new world record for the largest oil-lamp display, Guinness World Records adjudicator Pravin Patel announced.

This is just the beginning and this beginning has to reach its logical conclusion.

The other record was set for the first time – the highest number of people performing an “aarti” simultaneously, with 1,121 vedacharyas rotating diyas along the Saryu, Patel said.