Yogi Adityanath recreates Ayodhya's Diwali festival

Ayodhya: In “Treta Yug”, the second of four yugs in Hindu mythology, Lord Ram, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshman had returned to Ayodhya after slaying King Ravan in the Pushpak Vimaan. On Wednesday, “Lord Ram” returned to Ayodhya in a helicopter and was welcomed back into his home by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and state governor Ram Naik as the Uttar Pradesh government tried to recreate the Ramayan and celebrate Diwali like never before.

Cries of Jai Shri Ram rent the air as the helicopter began to land near the Ram Katha Park. Another helicopter showered flower petals on Ram, Sita and Lakshman.

The chief minister welcomed Lord Ram with a garland and UP minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi then garlanded Sita.

Union minister of state for tourism K.K. Alphons and minister of state for culture Mahesh Sharma, along with UP ministers and Ayodhya’s saints and seers were present at the event, which reverberated with chants of Jai Shri Ram in the presence of Ram, Sita and Lakshman. The “Rajya Abhishek” (coronation) and aarti of Lord Ram was performed on stage by the chief minister and a group of priests.

The ministers lined up on stage to seek blessings from the “lord” as devotional songs and recitations from the Ramayan played in the background.

At dusk, nearly 1.71 lakh diyas were lit across a half-km span on Ram Ki Pairi to celebrate Diwali. The flickering lights gave a fairytale look to Ayodhya.

All the 10,000-odd temples in Ayodhya were also lit up, making the holy city look breathtakingly beautiful and spectacular. The lighting of diyas is set to create a world record as the previous record is of 1.54 lakh diyas being lit at one go.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said Ayodhya was a part of our heritage and it was the government’s duty to promote the city as a major tourist destination. “It is the responsibility of the government to create the right atmosphere and this function is an attempt to recreate the event that took place in TretaYug,” he said.

He said his effort would be to ensure that Ayodhya gets its share of glory. He also thanked all seers and saints who helped to make the programme a success.

The CM also launched development projects worth '137 crores for Ayodhya with the push of a button. He also honored the saints and seers present at the event and performed aarti on the banks of the Saryu river.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Ram Shobha Yatra with 11 tableaus showcasing Lord Ram’s life from his birth to his return to Ayodhya was taken out in the holy city. A Ramlila laser show of about 22 minutes, marked by special sound effects, was also held on the occasion.