'DEEPOTSAV' 2025: AYODHYA'S FESTIVAL OF LIGHT RETURNS IN GRAND STYLE

Rooted in the Ramayana and reborn in recent years as a global spectacle, 'Deepotsav' has transformed Ayodhya into a city of light and faith. This year's edition, on October 19, promises to be the biggest yet

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Every autumn, when the air is crisp and the nights turn luminous with the glow of lamps. Ayodhya comes alive.

'Deepotsav' literally, the 'festival of lamps' has grown into a dazzling spectacle of devotion, culture, and technology in recent years. On October 19 2025, the city will once again set the Saryu ghats dazzle with millions of diyas, marking not just a ritual celebration but also an expression of Ayodhya's evolving place on the global cultural map.

A FESTIVAL ROOTED IN LEGEND

The origins of 'Deepotsav' are tied to the Ramayana. According to the great Hindu epic, the people of Ayodhya welcomed Lord Ram, Maa Sita, and Lord Lakshman back from exile by lighting rows of oil lamps across the city. The glow of those lamps symbolised not just joy but also the triumph of good over evil after Lord Ram's victory over Ravana. For centuries, Diwali celebrations across India have echoed this story. But in Ayodhya, the legend has taken on a special form-'Deepotsav'-where the entire city becomes a canvas of light.

Although Ayodhya has celebrated Diwali for generations, the modern 'Deepotsav' was institutionalised in 2017, when the Uttar Pradesh government organised it as a state event. That first year saw 1.7 lakh diyas lit on the ghats, a number that entered the Guinness World Records. Since then, the scale has grown exponentially, with each edition setting new benchmarks for participation and spectacle.

LOOKING BACK AT PREVIOUS EDITIONS