LUCKOW: As Treta Yug, the times of Lord Ram, came alive in temple town of Ayodhya on Friday evening when a record 5,84,372 earthen lamps were lit up on the banks of river Saryu and across the temple town on Diwali eve.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath extended credit for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the PM was the one implementing the ideology of Ram Rajya.
"It is due to PM Modi’s planning and strategy that Ram temple is being constructed in Ayodhya after a long wait of five decades," said CM Yogi Adityanath while addressing a gathering at Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya on Diwali eve.
Yogi said it was PM’s cherished dream to develop Ayodhya as the 'Vedic Ramayana City' and it should be the most beautiful city.
"We and our generation is fortunate to be a witness to the commencement of Ram temple construction. In the struggle of 500 years, many saints passed away with a dream to see the start of construction. I extend my gratitude to the PM, who is the one to implement the ideology of Ram Rajya," he said.
The CM, UP governor Anandiben Patel and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya were in Ayodhya along with several UP ministers for the fourth Deepotsav celebrations.
It was the first Deepotsav celebration in Ayodhya after the settlement of Ayodhya dispute and ‘bhumi pujan’ ceremony of Ram temple on August 5 in which PM Modi was the chief guest. But participation of locals was restricted due to Covid-19 and entry of outsiders into Ayodhya was banned.
Greeting the 'Ram Bhakts' on achieving the feat, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that next year another fresh record would be created on the day.
The Deepotsav 2020 was made available virtually for outsiders and they could light a virtual diya on the occasion through a special portal created by the Uttar Pradesh government. State Governeor and CM later launched a website -- https://virtualdeepotsav.com -- for people to take part in the Deepotsav virtually.
The CM also launched a cover on Deepotsav prepared by Ram Manohar Lohia Awadh University, Faizabad. The event Deeptosav was first organised in Ayodhya in 2017, when BJP came to power in UP. Around 11,000 earthen lamps were lit at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple construction site for the first time after the settlement of the dispute.
The diyas were lit amid the chants of 'Ram Ram, Jai Raja Ram' and 'Jai Siya Ram', by the residents of the temple town.
Governor, Chief Minister accompanied by his cabinet colleagues performed the 'Aarti' of holy river Saryu.
Meanwhile, the observers of the Guinness Book of World Records witnessed this 'grand extravaganza' wherein earthen lamps in such a large number were lit at one place and registered it as the new world record.
Earlier, replicating the return journey of Lord Ram to Ayodhya, along with his younger brother Lakshman and wife Sita by a Pushpak Viman, artistes descended at Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya on a helicopter. Yogi and Patel received them and took them to the main venue in the park.
Like Bharat welcomed Lord Ram on his return to Ayodhya after his 14-year exile and killing of demon king Ravan, Yogi and others carried out a ceremony symbolising ‘Raj Tilak’ or coronation of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.