CM Yogi hosts Deepotsav 2026 in Ayodhya with VP Radhakrishnan
Synopsis
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan attended the grand Deepotsav 2026 celebrations at Ram Ji Ki Paidi on the Saryu riverbank in Ayodhya on November 7, 2026, continuing the state's flagship annual festival of lamps.
Key Takeaways
Deepotsav 2026 was held on November 7, 2026 at Ram Ji Ki Paidi on the banks of the Saryu river, Ayodhya .
Radhakrishnan attended alongside CM Yogi Adityanath , marking a high-profile constitutional presence at the event.
Deepotsav has been a flagship annual event of the Yogi Adityanath government, held on the eve of Diwali each year.
Ayodhya has repeatedly set world records for simultaneous earthen lamps lit during Deepotsav celebrations.
The festival is central to the state government's effort to develop Ayodhya as a major pilgrimage and cultural tourism hub.
The sacred banks of the Saryu river in Ayodhya lit up once again as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan at Ram Ji Ki Paidi for the grand Deepotsav 2026 celebrations on Saturday, November 7, 2026 — marking another edition of what has become one of India's most spectacular annual festivals of light.
Ram Ji Ki Paidi: The stage for a divine spectacle
The celebration unfolded at Ram Ji Ki Paidi, the iconic riverside ghats along the Saryu in Ayodhya Dham — the city revered across the Hindu world as the birthplace of Lord Ram. CM Yogi described the occasion in his post as a 'divya-bhavy Deepotsav' (divine and grand festival of lamps), hosted in 'Prabhu Shri Ram ki pranapriya nagari' — the beloved city of Lord Ram. The presence of Vice President Radhakrishnan elevated the occasion to a national constitutional moment, signalling the event's stature well beyond a state ceremony.
Deepotsav's rise as Ayodhya's defining annual moment
Since its revival under the Yogi Adityanath government, Deepotsav — held annually on the eve of Diwali — has grown into a globally watched event, with Ayodhya repeatedly setting world records for the number of earthen lamps lit simultaneously along the Saryu ghats. The festival has become a centrepiece of the state government's effort to position Ayodhya as a premier pilgrimage and cultural tourism destination, particularly following the consecration of the Ram Mandir in January 2024. Each successive edition has drawn larger crowds, senior dignitaries, and international attention.
The 2026 edition continues that tradition, with the Vice President's participation marking one of the highest-profile constitutional presences the event has seen. No official lamp-count figure has been confirmed at the time of publication.
For CM Yogi — who is also the head of the Gorakhnath Math and approaches the Ram-bhakti tradition as both a political and spiritual commitment — Deepotsav is as much a personal expression of faith as it is a flagship state event. The convergence of governance, devotion, and cultural spectacle at the Saryu's edge is, by now, a signature of his administration.
As the lamps multiply on the ghats of Ayodhya year after year, the question the world watches is no longer whether the record will be broken — but by how much.
Point of View
And the Vice President's attendance in 2026 underscores how firmly it has entered India's constitutional and diplomatic calendar. For CM Yogi, the festival sits at the intersection of his twin identities — religious head of Gorakhnath Math and chief administrator of India's most populous state — making it a uniquely personal policy statement. The sustained investment in Ayodhya's cultural infrastructure, accelerated after the Ram Mandir consecration, reflects a broader BJP strategy of leveraging civilisational heritage as a pillar of governance and electoral identity. Whether the spectacle translates into durable economic uplift for Ayodhya's residents remains the harder, longer question.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Deepotsav in Ayodhya?
Deepotsav is an annual festival of lamps held in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali, organised by the Uttar Pradesh government. It involves lighting hundreds of thousands of earthen lamps along the Saryu riverbank and has set multiple world records for simultaneous diyas lit.
Who attended Deepotsav 2026 in Ayodhya?
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan attended Deepotsav 2026 at Ram Ji Ki Paidi on the Saryu riverbank in Ayodhya on November 7, 2026.
Where is Ram Ji Ki Paidi in Ayodhya?
Ram Ji Ki Paidi is a prominent ghat — a stepped riverbank platform — located along the Saryu river in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. It serves as the main venue for the Deepotsav celebrations each year.
When did Deepotsav 2026 take place?
Deepotsav 2026 took place on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
Why is Ayodhya's Deepotsav significant?
Ayodhya's Deepotsav is significant as a large-scale cultural and religious celebration in the city revered as the birthplace of Lord Ram. It has grown into a globally watched event and is central to the UP government's push to develop Ayodhya as a major pilgrimage and tourism destination.
