A decade of diyas. On Saturday, 7 November 2026, the Chief Minister's Office of Uttar Pradesh marked the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya with a formal welcome to the revered saints whose guidance has shaped the festival since its inception — a milestone that underscores how profoundly the city's identity has been recast over the past nine years.

The post, attributed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, extended a heartfelt welcome to the saints who have provided continuous spiritual counsel in the mission of linking Ayodhya's holistic development to the consciousness of Prabhu Shri Ram (Lord Ram). 'On the occasion of the 10th edition of Deepotsav,' the message reads, 'a heartfelt welcome and salutation to all those revered saints whose constant presence and guidance we have received in this resolve.'

Nine Years of Diyas: How Deepotsav Became a State Signature

Deepotsav was launched in 2017, the same year Yogi Adityanath assumed office, as a state-sponsored revival of the traditional Diwali celebration tied to the mythological return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya. What began as a cultural assertion has grown into one of India's most watched annual spectacles, drawing pilgrims, tourists, and cameras from across the country.

The festival's growth has run in parallel with sweeping infrastructure investment in Ayodhya — new ghats, widened roads, airport upgrades, and the completion of the Ram Temple — transforming the city into a full-scale spiritual tourism destination. The saints who appear alongside the administration each year are not ceremonial props; they represent the religious legitimacy the state has consciously cultivated for this project.

The Saints' Role in Ayodhya's Transformation

Inviting and honouring religious figures at state events is a deliberate thread in the Uttar Pradesh government's Ayodhya playbook. By centering the saints' 'continuous presence and guidance,' the Chief Minister's message frames the city's development not merely as a government programme but as a shared spiritual mission — one where administrative ambition and religious sanction reinforce each other.

For the saints themselves, Deepotsav provides a nationally visible platform. For the state, their endorsement lends cultural depth to what is also a significant economic driver: pilgrimage tourism, hospitality, and local commerce that have expanded measurably since 2017.

What the 10th Edition Signals for Ayodhya

A tenth anniversary is more than a number — it is a statement of institutional permanence. Deepotsav is no longer an experiment; it is a fixture on India's cultural calendar. The hashtags #Deepotsav1Dasak (one decade of Deepotsav) and #Deepotsav2026AyodhyaPuri signal that the state is leaning into the milestone with deliberate branding, framing Ayodhya not just as a city but as a sacred capital — Ayodhya Puri.

Attendance figures, the number of diyas lit, and any new infrastructure announcements tied to this edition will be the metrics that define how the decade's culmination is remembered — and how ambitiously the next decade is framed.

Ten editions in, Deepotsav has become the clearest single lens through which the Yogi government's vision for Ayodhya is projected to the world — and the 2026 edition, with its saints assembled and its hashtags ready, suggests that vision is only getting sharper.