The city of Ayodhya in northern India was lit up with three million lamps for this year’s Diwali, celebrated by Hindus around the world over the weekend. The celebrations in Ayodhya – regarded as one of Hinduism’s holiest cities – featured grand religious rituals, cultural performances, and a Ramayana-themed drone show, blending faith, tradition, and technology.
The temple city has hosted Diwali festivities under the name Deepotsav since 2017. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described this year’s 10th edition of the festival as a celebration of Ayodhya’s development and cultural revival, saying it reflected efforts to reconnect the temple town with its religious and historical heritage.
Diwali, or Deepavali, is India’s premier multi-day Festival of Lights, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It commemorates the return of Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana to the kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, when villagers are believed to have lit clay lamps to guide them home.
In a video released by the Ministry of Tourism on Sunday, drone shots captured the scale of the celebrations.
The festival is also closely tied to the country’s busiest shopping season, with economic activity typically picking up in the weeks around it. Gold demand rose in India after prices fell to a seven-month low this week, according to a Reuters report. Traders quoted by the agency said sales on Dhanteras – the auspicious day marking the start of the five-day Diwali festival – are expected to be about 10% higher than last year.
In her report, RT India correspondent Rujuta Thete notes that Diwali-related trade last year reached a record $64.31 billion, up 25% year on year. For many brands, the festive season accounts for 30-40% of annual business, she said. But the spending boom is not limited to big companies.
Diwali’s economic pulse reaches small shopkeepers and artisans too, as money spent on every lamp and every sweet flows directly into the hands of millions, helping keep India’s economic engine running. Watch the full report.