Ram Path to be adorned with flowers and decorative lights; new visitor gallery, selfie points and mural walls planned at Ram Ki Paidi
AYODHYA: Ayodhya is gearing up for a grand celebration of Deepotsav 2026 on November 7, with approximately 33 lakh earthen lamps expected to illuminate the temple town. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the municipal corporation and the tourism department are undertaking extensive preparations to enhance the festival’s grandeur and improve facilities for devotees and tourists.
Major roads, intersections, ghats and religious sites will be decorated with flowers and elaborate lighting. Buildings and electricity poles along Ram Path will feature decorative strip lights, while special illumination is planned at key intersections and underpasses, including Naka, Devkali, Mahobra and Booth Number Four. Railings along Ram Path, from Gate 11 of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple to Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, will also be decorated with flowers.
Special arrangements are being made to manage the anticipated influx of devotees. The municipal corporation plans to deploy 30 mobile toilets with attendants, supplementing the 471 existing bio-toilets across its jurisdiction. Ayodhya has 85 water coolers and 25 water kiosks, while additional water tankers will be arranged wherever required.
Sanitation will remain a major priority during the celebrations. Around 792 sanitation workers will be deployed to clean the ghats and collect earthen lamps immediately after the event. The municipal corporation will also deploy 55 vehicles for waste collection and management, with round-the-clock cleaning arrangements across the festival areas. Pressure washers and scrubber machines will be used to maintain cleanliness at Ram Ki Paidi and other locations.
Authorities are also promoting a plastic-free celebration through public announcements and variable messaging systems to encourage visitors to avoid polythene and dispose of waste responsibly.
A major attraction this year will be the development of modern tourism facilities at Ram Ki Paidi. A project worth Rs 2,367.60 lakh is being implemented by the Uttar Pradesh Projects Corporation Limited under the tourism department. It includes a visitor gallery, selfie points, designer red sandstone flooring, decorative glass lamps, sun pillars, designer canopies, plantation areas and bollard lighting. A designer mural wall depicting religious sites, temples and lamps will offer visitors a glimpse of Ayodhya’s traditional heritage.
The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is also organising painting and reel-making competitions to showcase the city’s cultural legacy and transformation. The painting competition, themed ‘Celebrating Ayodhya Through Art’, invites original watercolour works depicting the city’s heritage, religious sites and Deepotsav celebrations. The reel-making competition, titled ‘Ayodhya in a New Light’, calls for original videos of 30 to 60 seconds highlighting the city’s development, traditions and festival.
Participants from across the country and all age groups can take part. The deadline for submissions to both competitions is November 2, and winners will be felicitated in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during Deepotsav.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said the competitions would provide a platform for creative talent to present Ayodhya’s cultural heritage and development to a wider audience. Additional Chief Secretary of the Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs Department, Amrit Abhijat, said the initiative would encourage public participation and connect younger generations with their cultural roots.
Mayor Girishpati Tripathi said the municipal corporation was working to make Ayodhya clean, attractive and devotee-friendly under the guidance of the chief minister. Municipal Commissioner Jayendra Kumar said arrangements relating to sanitation, removal of encroachments and control of stray animals were being strengthened ahead of the celebrations.
With millions of lamps, illuminated streets, floral decorations and improved visitor amenities, Deepotsav 2026 aims to combine religious devotion, cultural heritage, tourism development and public participation in a grand celebration in the holy city of Lord Ram.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=RtToJsBhYBatUrym&v=mOuYNSdhjHA&feature=youtu.be
