25K volunteers to lay out 24L diyas in Ayodhya during Deepotsav

Lucknow, Oct 15: Around 25,000 volunteers will lay out 24 lakh diyas on 51 ghats of Ayodhya on November 11 this year for sixth consecutive Guinness World Record.

With a view to achieving the target of lighting 21 lakh earthen lamps (diyas) this Deepotsav in Ayodhya, the government plans to break its own earlier records.

Around one lakh litres of oil will be used for the event. The organiser of the event -- Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya -- has decided to lay 24 lakh diyas to achieve the target of successfully lighting 21 lakh diyas.

“Diyas in large numbers will extinguish sooner than later. As a precautionary measure, we will light 24 lakh diyas so that if two-three lakh diyas get extinguished, 21 lakh spread light to set a Guinness World Record,” said an official of the Avadh University.

The Ayodhya administration is aiming to successfully achieve the feat. More than 25,000 volunteers of Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad, and all colleges of Ayodhya have been engaged to make the mega event successful. The Avadh University is the nodal agency for organising the event.

Volunteers will be given one litre bottle of oil to ensure minimum waste. The university has hired an agency through a tender process for supplying all requisite elements for lighting a diya.

“Around Rs 3 crore will be spent on Deepotsav. It includes expenditure on lighting of diyas, T-shirts and snacks for volunteers,” said an official of the Ayodhya administration.

“The Yogi government will aim for the sixth Guinness World Record by lighting 21 lakh earthen diyas on this Deepotsav on November 11.

It is noteworthy that this would set a new record. Last year, 15.76 lakh diyas illuminated the ghats in Ayodhya on Deepotsav.

Volunteers have started marking boxes on ghats where diyas will be laid.