Diwali In Ayodhya: UP To Set New World Record By Lighting 1.70 Lakh Diyas

Ayodhya: On the occasion of Diwali, Uttar Pradesh Government is all set to establish a new world record -- lighting 1.70 lakh diyas. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hold a mega event - 'Deepotsav'- on Wednesday evening here during which a new Guinness world record would be set of lightning at least one lakh and seventy one thousand earthen lamps on the banks of river Saryu. A team from the Guinness Book of World Record has already reached to witness the event. Apart from lighting diyas, several other programmes are lined up to celebrate the festival of light. A heritage walk and 'Shobha Yatra' reminiscing the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya will be organised. The CM and other dignitaries will also launch several schemes to the tune of Rs 133-crore. A grand "Aarati" on River Saryu will also be performed by Mr Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik followed by a laser show. The 22-minute laser show with special sound effects on Ramayana will be the major attraction during the mega event at Ram Katha Park. The Ramlila will also be staged by artistes from Indonesia and Thailand. A ''Treta Yuga", a chopper decorated as the mythological ''Pushpak Viman'', will be present with artist decked up to resemble Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman. Principal Secretary Tourism Awanish Awasthi, who is supervising the celebrations, said here on Wednesday that the main objective of the entire programme would promote Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama, as an international tourist destination. Mr Aditynath along with UP Governor Ram Naik, Union Tourism Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma along with numbers of Union and State ministers would grace the occasion. Meanwhile, heavy police deployment has been made for the occasion. Over 1,000 policemen along with 10 companies of PAC and two companies of RAF have been deployed for security of the VVIPs, a senior police official said. UNI