The symbolic deities were greeted by Governor Anandiben Patel and Prime Minister Yogi Adiyanath, who bowed in reverence before initiating the grand coronation in Ram Katha park amid Vedic chants.
A large procession with 11 cadres from Saket College traversed 5 km before culminating at Naya Ghat, marking the beginning of the fourth Deepotsav in Ayodhya.
The city was fortified and the residents mostly remained in the interior with all the routes leading to Saryu ghats barricaded. And when night came, the scenery changed from the Ram Katha grounds to the shores of pristine Saryu, where more than 6 lakh diyas 11,000 clay lamps were lit simultaneously at Ramjanmabhoomi, where CM Yogi Adityanath offered prayers and lit the first lamp at noon after arriving in Ayodhya. He was accompanied by ministers, members of the Ram Temple trust, and senior bureaucrats.
While Ram Ki Paidi in Saryu has witnessed the visual splendor of millions of diyas lit over the past four years, this year was a historic Deepotsav for Ayodhya, as Ramjanmabhoomi first lit up in recent memory after shedding his disputed tag with Supreme. The court ordered the construction of the Ram temple in November last year.
For three decades after the demolition of Babri, the high priest of the makeshift temple Acharya Satyendra Das lit 51 diyas and offered prayers with four young priests. “The holiday was silenced in Ramjanmabhoomi and a small bid would be made at Ram Lalla’s feet after receiving the go-ahead from the then Faizabad receiver-commissioner, as the site was disputed,” said Acharya Das.
This year was an exception, with members of the temple trust and security staff deployed to Ramjanmabhoomi lighting 11,000 diyas. After addressing a gathering of 1,000 guests in Ram Katha Park, the Prime Minister approached Ram ki Paidi and performed Saryu aarti and lit a diya. In seconds, volunteers at the site lit more than 6 lakhs of lamps, creating a world record.
Another great attraction of the Deepotsav was the dance performance on Ramayana themes by popular artists from Bundelkhand, Braj, Awadh and Poorvanchal. Speaking to TOI, Vishal, a member of the Jhansi group, said: “We rehearsed for over two weeks before coming to Ayodhya. We are excited to be performing on the streets of Ayodhya, the city of Lord Rama, and we hope this tradition never stops. ”
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