Overview
- Vice‑President C.P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the 10th Deepotsav Saturday, offering prayers at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi and lighting the first diya at Ram Ki Paidi in a ceremony attended by the state leadership.
- Organisers aimed to light about 30 to 33 lakh (roughly three million) earthen diyas across 55–56 ghats along the Saryu riverfront with volunteers placing lamps in geometric grids.
- The event features large technical spectacles including a reported 2,100‑drone show, projection mapping, laser displays and a 300‑foot cinematic Ramayana facade to dramatise Ram’s return.
- Security and crowd management were stepped up with district and police briefings, CCTV and drone surveillance, and monitoring by NSG commandos and the Uttar Pradesh Anti‑Terror Squad for the festival.
- Officials say the decade‑long festival has become a tourism and cultural platform that uses new riverfront infrastructure to attract visitors, support potters and artisans, and stage international Ramleela troupes.