Representative image. Sneha G Gupta, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
हिन्दी में सारांश Summary in Hindi
- योध्या में 7 नवंबर 2026 को सरयू के 56 घाटों पर 30 लाख से ज्यादा दीये जलाए गए, न्यू इंडियन एक्सप्रेस और PTI ने बताया।
- तिथि रहे, राज्यपाल आनंदीबेन पटेल और मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ भी मौजूद रहे।
- रात करीब 9.30 बजे तक पढ़ी गई रिपोर्टों में गिनीज या UP सरकार की आधिकारिक गिनती नहीं थी।
বাংলায় সারাংশ Summary in Bangla
- যোধ্যায় সরযূর ৫৬টি ঘাটে ৩০ লাখের বেশি প্রদীপ জ্বালানো হয়েছে, জানিয়েছে নিউ ইন্ডিয়ান এক্সপ্রেস ও PTI।
- তিথি ছিলেন, ছিলেন রাজ্যপাল আনন্দীবেন প্যাটেল ও মুখ্যমন্ত্রী যোগী আদিত্যনাথও।
- রাত প্রায় ৯.৩০টা পর্যন্ত পড়া রিপোর্টে গিনেস বা উত্তরপ্রদেশ সরকারের সরকারি গণনা ছিল না।
Why it matters
The diya count is the headline number of Ayodhya's Deepotsav, and it is the figure the state uses to claim world records. Readers should know that the 30 lakh number so far comes from reports on the night, while the 2024 record was confirmed by a Guinness adjudicator's own count announced the same evening.
Ayodhya Deepotsav diyas lit up 56 ghats along the Saryu on Saturday, 7 November 2026, as the tenth edition of the festival reached its main night on the eve of Diwali. More than 30 lakh earthen lamps were lit, the New Indian Express and the news agency PTI (Press Trust of India) reported, with Vice President C P Radhakrishnan as chief guest alongside Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The figure is the organisers’ and reporters’ number for now. None of the reports read by NewsPlainly up to about 9.30 pm IST carried a count announced by a Guinness World Records adjudicator or a final tally from the Uttar Pradesh government. In 2024, that count came the same evening, after the lamps were counted with drones, The Hindu reported then.
What happened at Ayodhya Deepotsav on 7 November
More than 35,000 volunteers lit the lamps on the 56 ghats, while another one lakh diyas lit up the premises of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, the New Indian Express reported. Figures representing Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman arrived near the riverbank in a helicopter designed as the Pushpak Viman, the mythical flying chariot, and were welcomed by the chief minister.
The Vice President and the chief minister offered prayers and performed aarti at Ram Katha Park, where the main programme was held. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and several saints also attended, according to the PTI report carried by Outlook. The evening included a show by 2,100 drones depicting the Ramayana and performances by artists from five countries.
Earlier in the day, the state Tourism and Culture Department took out a Shobha Yatra (procession) with 21 tableaux from Saket Mahavidyalaya to Ram Katha Park. The tableaux showed episodes from the Ramcharitmanas and welfare schemes of the Centre and the state government, India Today reported.
More than 2,500 police personnel and specialised security teams were on duty for the crowds, the Times of India said. Amar Ujala reported that the city was split into 20 zones and 53 sectors for security, each under police officers and magistrates.
Claimed, not yet certified: the 30 lakh diyas count
Organisers set a target of 30 lakh diyas for this year. To allow for breakage while the diyas were carried and laid out, about 33 lakh were being brought in, Dainik Bhaskar reported on 3 November.
Amrit Abhijat, Additional Chief Secretary for Tourism and Culture, said the aim was to go past earlier Guinness World Records, India Today reported. He also said hotels in the city were fully booked, with visitors from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bihar.
The New Indian Express quoted him as saying the festival had “already secured a place in the Guinness World Records three times” and that, “Moving forward, these will be recognised as ‘Ayodhya Records’.” He said this had been discussed with the chief minister. The reports read did not explain what an “Ayodhya Record” would mean in practice, or whether a Guinness adjudicator was present this year. Different reports also count the earlier records differently: the same New Indian Express report says the festival has set a record in every edition.
That matters for the number. In 2024, Guinness adjudicator Pravin Patel announced the count on the evening itself: 25,12,585 lamps, counted using drones, The Hindu reported at the time. He said meeting the record’s guidelines was as important as the number. A comparable statement for 2026 had not appeared in the reports read when this article was written.
Ayodhya Deepotsav diyas, year by year
The table of Ayodhya Deepotsav counts below uses only figures from reports NewsPlainly read. Years missing from it are years for which we did not read a source, not years without a festival.
| Year | Diyas | What the figure is | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 (first) | About 1.71 lakh | Reported count | New Indian Express, Dainik Bhaskar |
| 2022 | More than 15.76 lakh | Guinness record, as reported | Indian Express, 24 Oct 2022 |
| 2023 | 22,23,676 (about 22.24 lakh) | Guinness record, cited by the adjudicator in 2024 | The Hindu, 31 Oct 2024 |
| 2024 | 25,12,585 (about 25.13 lakh) | Guinness record, announced by the adjudicator | The Hindu, 31 Oct 2024 |
| 2025 | 26.17 lakh | Guinness record, as reported | New Indian Express, Dainik Bhaskar |
| 2026 | More than 30 lakh | Reported on the night; no official count in reports read | New Indian Express, PTI |
By NewsPlainly’s calculation, the 2024 count was 2,88,909 lamps (about 13%) more than 2023’s. The rise from 2024 to 2025 was smaller, about 1.04 lakh or 4%, using the rounded 26.17 lakh figure. If the reported 30 lakh diyas figure holds, 2026 would be at least 3.83 lakh lamps (about 15%) above 2025, a bigger rise than in either 2024 or 2025.
Dainik Bhaskar, citing Guinness World Records, said the 2025 record was set by UP Tourism with Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University in Ayodhya. The lighting took 25 minutes and the lamps burned for about four hours, it said.
What Yogi Adityanath and the Governor said at Ram Katha Park
Addressing the Ayodhya Deepotsav gathering, Yogi Adityanath said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Ayodhya has come alive once more, evoking the memories of the Treta Yuga”, PTI reported. He recalled the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and said those who had ordered firing on devotees and saints should apologise when they visit Ayodhya.
Governor Anandiben Patel said the rise in pilgrims and tourists was creating work for local people in hotels, transport, food, handicrafts and flower offerings, the Times of India reported. Before the main programme, the chief minister visited an exhibition on Ayodhya’s 500-year history and its recent building work, including the airport named after Maharishi Valmiki.
What to watch after the Ayodhya Deepotsav night
The key open point is the official count of Ayodhya Deepotsav diyas. A figure from the Uttar Pradesh government or a Guinness adjudicator would settle whether the 2026 display beat 2025’s 26.17 lakh, and by how much. Until then, 30 lakh diyas is the reported figure for Ayodhya Deepotsav 2026, not a certified one.
For visitors still in Ayodhya, the festival runs until 9 November, according to the Indian Express schedule in our preview of Deepotsav 2026. That preview also has the full programme of the main night, including the drone show and the Ramlila troupes from abroad.
Frequently asked questions
How many diyas were lit at Ayodhya Deepotsav 2026?
More than 30 lakh on 56 ghats of the Saryu, plus about one lakh at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple premises, the New Indian Express reported. This is the reported figure; an official certified count was not in the reports read up to about 9.30 pm IST.
Did Ayodhya set a Guinness World Record in 2026?
The reports read by NewsPlainly up to about 9.30 pm IST on 7 November did not include a Guinness adjudicator's announcement. The organisers' stated aim was to beat earlier records, including 2025's 26.17 lakh.
How were diyas counted in earlier years?
In 2024 the lamps were counted using drones, and the Guinness adjudicator announced 25,12,585 the same evening, The Hindu reported.
Who attended Deepotsav 2026 in Ayodhya?
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan was chief guest, with Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.