Ayodhya, Oct 22 Preparations are underway for the 10th Deepotsav here, with 30 lakh diyas set to illuminate 56 ghats along the Saryu riverfront, the Uttar Pradesh government said on Thursday.
The marking of the ghats has begun after cleaning. A ground-breaking ceremony will be held on Friday morning amid Vedic chants to formally begin preparations for the festival, it said.
Dr Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University, which is coordinating the arrangements, has procured 33 lakh diyas against the target of lighting 30 lakh to account for breakage during transportation and placement, the government statement said.
The ‘bhoomi pujan’ will be held at ghat number 10 at 7.30 am on Friday in the presence of Dr Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University Vice-Chancellor Bijendra Singh and senior university officials.
This year, diyas will be arranged across 56 ghats, including the expanded Ram Ki Paidi, Chaudhary Charan Singh Ghat and Bhajan Sandhya Sthal. The arrangements were earlier spread across 55 ghats.
Officials are using a block-based layout to ensure uniform placement of diyas. Marking work is expected to be completed within three to four days, the statement said.
Around 35,000 volunteers from 30 degree colleges, 40 intermediate colleges and the university campus will be deployed to arrange and light the diyas. They will be assigned responsibilities ghat-wise and their training is underway, it said.
Volunteers will be registered online and issued identity cards carrying QR codes, photographs, contact details and deployment locations to facilitate verification and prevent duplication.
The university and the district administration are coordinating arrangements related to diyas, ghat management, volunteer deployment and security for the event.
(PTI News)
