The birthplace of Lord Ram, Ayodhya, has come alive to the eighth Deepotsav celebrations with vibrant tableaux and a grand procession organised to mark the occasion on Wednesday.

Eighteen special tableaux showcasing various episodes of ‘Ramcharitmanas’ drew large crowds along the route from Saket Mahavidyalaya to Ram Katha Park.

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UP Culture and Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, MLA Ved Prakash Gupta, Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi, and others inaugurated the tableaux. As they moved through the streets, devotees captured these powerful scenes on their phones while fireworks and coloured gulal filled the air.

Saket College students beautifully illustrated iconic moments from ‘Ramcharitmanas’, from the Putrayeshti Yagna to Shri Ram’s coronation, bringing each scene to life through skillful portrayals.

Folk artists enhanced the spectacle, engaging the audience with live narrations between tableaux. The procession went through Ayodhya’s main intersections, culminating at Ram Katha Park at 2 pm, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed the tableaux and ceremoniously greet the idols of Lord Ram, Sita, and Lakshman. A coronation ceremony at the event marked the grand commencement of Ayodhya’s Deepotsav.

For this year’s Ayodhya Deepotsav, Saket Mahavidyalaya has crafted 18 stunning tableaux, 11 prepared by the Information Department and 7 by the Tourism Department. The Tourism Department’s tableaux beautifully depict scenes from the seven chapters of Tulsidas’ *Ramcharitmanas*—Bal Kand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sundar Kand, Lanka Kand, and Uttar Kand—bringing the essence of the Ramayana to life for devotees.

This eighth Deepotsav includes special displays illustrating key episodes in Shri Ram’s life: from his education and marriage to Sita, the forest exile, Bharat Milaap, Shabri’s devotion, Ashok Vatika, Hanuman’s journey to Lanka, Laxman’s injury from Shakti arrow, Ravana’s defeat, and the grand return to Ayodhya for Deepotsav.