Help those who can't afford lamps, sweets on Diwali, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Ayodhya (UP), Oct 20, (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday appealed to people to help those who can't afford to light lamps or buy sweets on Diwali, officials said.

Visiting a colony of the Nishad community in Ayodhya's Abhiramdas ward, Adityanath said, "When Lord Ram was on his way to the forest (along with Goddess Sita and Lord Laxman), then it was Nishadraj, who was the first person to offer assistance to Lord Ram. He was the first person with whom Lord Ram had a friendship. And this friendship has continued since the Tretaa Yug (era of Lord Ram)." The Nishad community includes dozens of riverine castes in north India and is considered an Extremely Backward Caste (EBC). It traces its lineage to Nishadraj, who is said to have helped Lord Ram cross the Sarayu river in the Ramayana.

Adityanath said a grand Deepotsav is organised to take forward this "memory of Tretaa Yug".

"Deepotsav is today's Deepavali, and we all become a part of this festival," he said.

The chief minister appealed to the people of Uttar Pradesh that lamps should be lit in every home. "If any person is unable to light a lamp due to scarcity, help him," he said.

Ayodhya witnessed a spectacle on Sunday evening as Deepotsav 2025 illuminated the holy city with 26,17,215 lamps, marking the ninth edition of the grand celebration, officials said.

Devotees from across India and abroad filled the city with chants of "Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram", they added.

According to an official statement, Uttar Pradesh set two new Guinness World Records: one, for lighting 26,17,215 lamps across the city, and another, for 2,128 Vedic scholars, priests, and seekers performing Saryu aarti simultaneously.

Both achievements were verified through drone counts and certified by representatives of the Guinness World Record, the statement noted. PTI NAV PRK PRK