QUICK TAKE | How Ayodhya Plans to Light 30 Lakh Diyas in One Evening. Seven Things to Know

1. What is Ayodhya’s Deepotsav?

The Diwali festival celebrates Ram’s return to Ayodhya after exile. It began in 2017 with about 1.71 lakh lamps. This year’s five-day programme runs from November 5 to 9, with the main lighting ceremony on November 7 at Ram Ki Paidi.

2. What world record is Ayodhya chasing?

Its own. Guinness World Records counted 26,17,215 oil lamps at the 2025 Deepotsav. A display of 30 lakh would beat that by about 3.83 lakh lamps, or nearly 15%. This year’s figure is the organisers’ target.

3. How do 35,000 volunteers light that many lamps?

Volunteers work ghat by ghat, laying out the diyas in patterns and filling them with oil ahead of the ceremony. At 30 lakh lamps, the workload averages about 86 diyas per volunteer. Last year, Guinness says, volunteers lit the entire display in 25 minutes.

4. Who is playing Hanuman?

Mohammad Islam, an artist from Barabanki, has performed in Ramlila for 17 to 18 years and has come to Ayodhya for Deepotsav since it began. He has played several characters over the years. This time he is Hanuman. “Lord Ram belongs to everyone,” he told ANI.

5. How much of the Ramayana will the procession cover?

The 22 tableaux draw from all seven kands, or books, of the epic. The procession will feature Ram Darbar and the Pushpak Viman. Ramlila troupes from five countries, including Nepal, Sri Lanka and South Africa, will also perform during the festival.

6. What will 2,100 drones do?

They’ll fly in formations depicting scenes from the Ramayana. Last year’s show used 1,100 drones. This year’s riverfront programme also includes an eight-minute laser show and a 20-minute projection display.

7. Who makes the diyas?

One order alone went to 25 women across villages in Ayodhya and Barabanki. They were commissioned to make 1.60 lakh diyas for ₹12.8 lakh. The figure shows how much work a single festival order can bring to village potters.