Lucknow/Ayodhya (UP), Oct 19: Ayodhya received over 23.82 crore devotees this year between January and June in a record footfall, officials said on Sunday, as the city readied itself to receive more visitors for Deepotsav.
An official statement by the Uttar Pradesh government said the Deepotsav celebration has increased Ayodhya’s appeal both nationally and internationally. “As a result, the number of tourists visiting Ayodhya has been steadily rising. While domestic tourists make up a large portion, foreign tourists’ interest in the sacred city of Lord Shri Ram has also grown,” it said.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, tourist inflow has risen over the years, from 1.78 crore visitors in 2017 — the first year of Deepotsav celebrations — to about 1.95 crore in 2018, 2.05 crore in 2019. It saw a dip in 2020 to about 61 lakh visitors due to the pandemic, and an increase again to about 1.57 crore in 2021, 2.39 crore in 2022, 5.75 crore in 2023, and 16.44 crore in 2024. These numbers reflect both domestic and international tourists.
The number of foreign visitors to the holy city shows a similar uptick. This year, it added up to about 50,000 between January and June.
Backed by “robust infrastructure”, four-lane and six-lane highways, a world-class airport, and a modern railway station, Ayodhya has emerged as a “symbol of both spiritual resurgence and economic growth” under the Yogi Adityanath government, the UP government said in the statement.
The growth trend shows Ayodhya’s renewed global prominence following the construction of the Ram temple, officials said, adding that the rising number of devotees has also generated thousands of local employment opportunities.
Crediting the Deepotsav tradition, the statement said Ayodhya is now a “major global pilgrimage and tourism hub”.
Meanwhile, extending a warm welcome to the visitors and devotees in the city, the office of the UP chief minister said in a post on X in Hindi, Ayodhya is ready for the grand and divine Deepotsav-2025.
A statement said following a collaboration between Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University and the Ayodhya district administration, preparations have been completed to make Deepotsav 2025 a “historic event”.
Nearly 33,000 volunteers will play a key role in this event, lighting over 26 lakh lamps to set a Guinness world record, officials said.
The university’s VC Colonel Bijendra Singh said in a statement, “This Deepotsav will be extraordinary and unforgettable. The message of equality and harmony will reach the entire world from Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram.”
He said that a team of over 2,000 university members has been deployed at 56 ghats along the Saryu river.
Sant Sharan Mishra, the nodal officer for Deepotsav, said a Guinness Book of World Records team is counting the number of diyas on a ghat-wise basis, and about 28 lakh diyas have already been arranged.
At Ghat no. 10, university volunteers created a huge symbol of ‘Swastika’ with 80,000 diyas, conveying a message of auspiciousness, he said.
Officials said tight security arrangements have been made, and entry without ID cards will not be permitted on the ghats.
Ayodhya District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde said after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s programme this evening, a laser show, light and sound show, and drone show will be organised at Ram Ki Paidi from around 8:30 pm. (Agencies)
