A Deepotsav lamp costs a few rupees, but Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wants people to look at what it adds up to. On Monday, ahead of his visit to Ayodhya, he described the city's Deepotsav as an economic engine as well as a religious spectacle. In his account, the clay diya links the temple town to potters' wheels, farmers' fields and small shopkeepers' counters.

"The grand Deepotsav of Shri Ayodhya Dham is giving fresh momentum to the economy along with faith. Every diya lit here is bringing new light to the hard work of a potter, the produce of a farmer and the livelihood of a family," the Chief Minister wrote on X.

The point behind the post is simple. When lakhs of earthen lamps are lit, someone has to make them, someone has to supply the oil and cotton wicks, and someone has to look after the crowds of pilgrims and tourists who come to watch. Yogi's message puts these local supply chains, which often get overlooked, at the centre of the festival's story.

He was also openly political about it. The Chief Minister said this kind of "radiance" had been missing earlier, alleging that nobody had tried to connect Ayodhya's cultural potential with the prosperity of local artisans, farmers and small traders. "There was a complete lack of vision to transform the strength of faith into new livelihood opportunities. The double-engine government has dispelled this darkness," he wrote.

He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance for the festival's scale and said it was now creating jobs and business for potters, labourers and small traders. "The very diya that illuminates Ram Nagari also kindles hopes of prosperity in the home of a hardworking family. Such is the spirit of our Deepotsav," he added.

A Decade-Long Milestone, and a Message Beyond Ayodhya

Later, speaking at a gathering in Gonda district, Yogi confirmed that he would be in Ayodhya on November 7 and that the 10th edition of Deepotsav would be held in Ayodhya Dham this year. A tenth edition is a marker in its own right. It shows how a state-backed celebration has become a fixed part of Uttar Pradesh's festive and tourism calendar.

He also tried to show the festival's benefits reaching beyond the city. "Although the Deepotsav celebrations will take place in Ayodhya, their light will reach Gonda in the form of development. Today, we can see this development in Gonda," he said.

To make his case, the Chief Minister contrasted the present with the past. About a decade ago, he said, the drive from Gonda railway station to the Maa Pateshwari Shaktipeeth at Devi Patan took two-and-a-half to three hours. "The roads here were full of potholes. There was an atmosphere of insecurity, development had come to a standstill, young people were unemployed and farmers were distressed. The safety of women and traders was at risk," he said.

He further claimed that Gonda, Balrampur and Shravasti were once counted among the most backward and dirtiest districts in the country. He tied their transformation to his government's wider development plans.

As the diyas are stacked up for the 10th Deepotsav, the government's message is that the festival should be judged by the incomes it supports as well as the spectacle it creates. That claim will be tested in the homes of the potters and small traders the Chief Minister named, both during the festival and after it ends.

With inputs from IANS.

A Deepotsav lamp costs a few rupees, but Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wants people to look at what it adds up to. On Monday, ahead of his visit to Ayodhya, he described the city's Deepotsav as an economic engine as well as a religious spectacle. In his account, the clay diya links the temple town to potters' wheels, farmers' fields and small shopkeepers' counters.

"The grand Deepotsav of Shri Ayodhya Dham is giving fresh momentum to the economy along with faith. Every diya lit here is bringing new light to the hard work of a potter, the produce of a farmer and the livelihood of a family," the Chief Minister wrote on X.

The point behind the post is simple. When lakhs of earthen lamps are lit, someone has to make them, someone has to supply the oil and cotton wicks, and someone has to look after the crowds of pilgrims and tourists who come to watch. Yogi's message puts these local supply chains, which often get overlooked, at the centre of the festival's story.

He was also openly political about it. The Chief Minister said this kind of "radiance" had been missing earlier, alleging that nobody had tried to connect Ayodhya's cultural potential with the prosperity of local artisans, farmers and small traders. "There was a complete lack of vision to transform the strength of faith into new livelihood opportunities. The double-engine government has dispelled this darkness," he wrote.

He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance for the festival's scale and said it was now creating jobs and business for potters, labourers and small traders. "The very diya that illuminates Ram Nagari also kindles hopes of prosperity in the home of a hardworking family. Such is the spirit of our Deepotsav," he added.

A Decade-Long Milestone, and a Message Beyond Ayodhya

Later, speaking at a gathering in Gonda district, Yogi confirmed that he would be in Ayodhya on November 7 and that the 10th edition of Deepotsav would be held in Ayodhya Dham this year. A tenth edition is a marker in its own right. It shows how a state-backed celebration has become a fixed part of Uttar Pradesh's festive and tourism calendar.

He also tried to show the festival's benefits reaching beyond the city. "Although the Deepotsav celebrations will take place in Ayodhya, their light will reach Gonda in the form of development. Today, we can see this development in Gonda," he said.

To make his case, the Chief Minister contrasted the present with the past. About a decade ago, he said, the drive from Gonda railway station to the Maa Pateshwari Shaktipeeth at Devi Patan took two-and-a-half to three hours. "The roads here were full of potholes. There was an atmosphere of insecurity, development had come to a standstill, young people were unemployed and farmers were distressed. The safety of women and traders was at risk," he said.

He further claimed that Gonda, Balrampur and Shravasti were once counted among the most backward and dirtiest districts in the country. He tied their transformation to his government's wider development plans.

As the diyas are stacked up for the 10th Deepotsav, the government's message is that the festival should be judged by the incomes it supports as well as the spectacle it creates. That claim will be tested in the homes of the potters and small traders the Chief Minister named, both during the festival and after it ends.

With inputs from IANS.