Indians mark Diwali by lighting a record number of earthen lamps ...
Millions of Indians began celebrating the annual Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, by symbolically lighting a record 2.51 million earthen oil lamps at dusk on Wednesday on the banks of the river Saryu.
The celebrations took place within the northern city of Ayodhya where Prime Minister Narendra Modi nine months ago opened a controversial Hindu temple built on the ruins of a historic mosque following a Supreme Court decision.
Dr Pratibha Goyal, vice-chancellor of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, coordinated the massive effort.
"More than 30,000 volunteers, primarily college students, worked meticulously to maintain the systematic pattern of burning lamps for the prescribed time," he said.
The earthen lamps lit along 55 riverfront steps of the river created a captivating display.
As the lamps remained lit for over five minutes, government spokesperson Shishir Singh said Ayodhya achieved its seventh consecutive world record for the largest display.
Singh said that around 91,000 litres of mustard oil were used to light the lamps.
The event transformed Ayodhya into a city of lights amid devotional bhajan singing.
A laser show depicting scenes from the epic Ramayana added to the immersive experience and an eco-friendly fireworks show lit the skyline.
The festival also featured a massive praying ceremony performed by 1,100 priests along riverbanks.
A Guinness World Records team presented a certificate to Uttar Pradesh state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, acknowledging the unprecedented number of oil lamps, exceeding last year's 2.2 million.
Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India, for the Hindu majority in particular. It is marked by socialising and exchanging gifts with loved ones.
Many light earthen oil lamps, candles, and fireworks are set off.
In the evening, a special prayer is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring luck and prosperity.
Drone cameras closely monitored the event, and security was tightened across the city.
Paramilitary commandos, bomb detectors, dog squads, face-recognition technology, and real-time monitoring drones were deployed throughout the city, police officer Rajkaran Nayyar said.
Major Hindu festivals like Dussehra and Diwali are associated with mythological tales of Lord Ram extolling the virtues of truth, sacrifice, and ethical governance.
Diwali's main festival celebrations will be held across the country on Thursday.
AP
