Vice-President Opens Deepotsav 2026 at Ram Ki Paidi, Ayodhya

C. P. Radhakrishnan, the Vice-President of India, inaugurated the Deepotsav 2026 celebrations at Ram Ki Paidi in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on 7 November 2026, attending as the chief guest.

What the Vice-President did

He watched the ghats light up with lakhs of earthen lamps, saw cultural performances drawn from the Ramayana and a fireworks display set to music, and took part in the Saryu Aarti at Naya Ghat. Earlier in the day he offered prayers at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and joined the special aarti of Shri Ram-Janaki at Ram Katha Park.

How the festival has grown

Deepotsav began in 2017, when a little over 1.7 lakh lamps were lit. By 2025 the count had crossed 26 lakh. The tenth edition planned more than 30 lakh diyas at Ram Ki Paidi alone and over 70 lakh across Ayodhya as a whole. The Vice-President congratulated the Uttar Pradesh government for carrying the festival to national and international notice.

Livelihoods and technology

The Vice-President said the festival now feeds many local trades, naming potters, rural women, artisans, performers, hotel and homestay keepers, guides and transport operators among those who gain from it. He also welcomed the use of new technology, pointing to more than 2,100 indigenous drones that staged scenes from the Ramayana and to about 1,000 artists who took part in the cultural programmes.

His message

Calling Deepotsav a celebration of Jan Bhagidari, he said the lamps stand for the change under way in the lives of crores of Indians. He described Ayodhya as a living example of Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi, noting the new roads, ghats, pilgrim facilities, lodging and improved rail and air links. Speaking to young people, he asked them to study the Ramayana, take up science and innovation, and stay rooted in Indian languages and traditions: India, he said, must be modern in its ambitions while firmly anchored in its civilisational values. He added that Uttar Pradesh, with its work in education, agriculture, health, housing and enterprise, was moving towards becoming Uttam Pradesh.

Who else was present

Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, ministers, saints and seers attended the celebrations.