Lucknow: The stage is set for the grand Diwali celebrations by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to highlight Ayodhya issue once again.

The state government is also getting ready to make a new Guinness World Record by lighting around two lakh diyas on the banks of the Saryu River as a part of Diwali celebrations. Preparations for registering the historic event are in full swing and orders have been placed for 2 lakh earthen diyas. CM Yogi will arrive in Ayodhya on October 18, one day before Diwali. He will welcome the Ram Shobha Yatra of the ongoing Ram Leela in Ram Katha Park.

Most of the Diyas or earthen lamps that will be used for the mega event are being manufactured at Kumhartola of Harsinghpur. As a part of the plan, a diya will be placed on every square metre; an event company from Gujarat has been specially roped in by the authorities to ensure smooth flow of the event. Also, some preparations have been made to divert the flow of the wind for five minutes, in order to make the world record. The trial run of the event will be held today at the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya.

In order to make the event a success, students from RML Awadh University Faizabad have been roped in as volunteers. As per the University administration, around 2,000 students will be working from a day before to a day after the event as volunteers and will help in making the event a success.

As per the officials taking care of the mega event, the diyas will be lighted in two patterns. One pattern will depict bow and arrow, while the other pattern will depict the sign of Swastik. The first diya will be lighted by the Chief Guest UP CM Yogi Adityanath himself, post which every student will light up the diyas.

Vice Chancellor of RML Awadh University Faizabad, Professor Manoj Dixit said, “All the diyas (lamps) will have to be kept burning for five minutes to make it a world record. The Guinness World Record has been asked to burn 1.54 lakh diyas from them, but we have set a target a bit more than what is required. The main motive behind this event is to register it in history and record books and to make it famous just like Banaras Ki Holi and Dahi Handi festival of Maharashtra.”

This is for the first time that the UP state government has made announcement for holding a grand function on Diwali in Ayodhya in an attempt to bring it back into the limelight. Instructions have also been given to the authorities to illuminate the reputed buildings of Ayodhya as a part of Diwali celebrations. They have also been instructed to decorate 10,000 temples of Ayodhya town and Saryu Ghat.