Ayodhya Sets Guinness World Record with Over 26 Lakh Diyas: Check Top 10 Largest Oil Lamp Displays Globally
Ayodhya's Deepotsav 2025 set a Guinness World Record by illuminating 26,17,215 oil lamps (diyas) along the Saryu River ghats. The festival, organized by the Uttar Pradesh government, broke its own previous record and also achieved a record for the largest coordinated aarti. The spectacle cemented Ayodhya's status as a global spiritual capital.
In a resplendent festival of faith, culture, and harmony, Ayodhya, the city sacred as the birthplace of Lord Ram has again written history. The Deepotsav 2025 created not one but two Guinness World Records, illuminating a stunning 26,17,215 oil lamps (diyas) on 56 ghats of the Saryu River, and at the same time, performing the largest-ever aarti involving 2,128 devotees. The colossal spectacle transformed the city of the gods into a universe of light, affirming the city as the spiritual capital of India.
Top 10 Largest Oil Lamp Displays in the World
| Rank | Location & Event | Number of Lamps | Year | Record Type | Organized By |
| 1 | Ayodhya, India (Deepotsav 2025) | 26,17,215 | 2025 | Largest display of oil lamps | UP Tourism & Ayodhya District Administration |
| 2 | Ayodhya, India (Deepotsav 2024) | 25,12,585 | 2024 | Largest display of oil lamps | UP Govt & Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University |
| 3 | Ujjain, India (Mahashivratri Aarti) | 18,82,000 | 2023 | Largest oil lamp display before Ayodhya 2024 | MP Govt & Kshipra River Committee |
| 4 | Varanasi, India (Dev Deepawali) | 12,00,000 | 2022 | Historic riverfront display | Varanasi Development Authority |
| 5 | Ayodhya, India (Deepotsav 2022) | 15,76,000 | 2022 | Previous record for largest diya display | UP Tourism |
| 6 | Chandrapur, Maharashtra (Oil Lamp Sentence Record) | 33,258 | 2021 | Largest oil lamp sentence | Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Wachanalay |
| 7 | Kerala (Thrissur Pooram Festival) | 25,000+ | 2019 | Cultural diya procession | Temple Committees |
| 8 | Nepal (Janakpur Ram-Janaki Procession) | 20,000+ | 2018 | Spiritual celebration | Nepal Cultural Board |
| 9 | Thailand (Loy Krathong Festival) | 15,000 | 2017 | Candle-lit river celebration | Bangkok Tourism |
| 10 | Sri Lanka (Kandy Perahera) | 10,000 | 2015 | Traditional temple lamp lighting | Sri Dalada Maligawa Trust |
Inside Deepotsav 2025: A City of Lights
The festival, organized by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, represented "faith overcoming darkness". University and college volunteers designed the diyas in complex patterns from early morning. More than 30,000 people carefully prepared lamps with 73,000 litres of oil and 55 lakh wicks before lighting up at sunset.
Placement of each diya was verified virtually with QR codes, while drones and Guinness World Records officials maintained real-time watch on counts and patterns. The celebrations also had a drone and laser show showcasing scenes from the Ramayana, such as pictures of Lord Ram, Sita, Hanuman, and Ravana projected against the Saryu sky.
The whole ghatscape from Ram ki Paidi to Guptar Ghat—became a shimmering sea of devotion and creativity, reflecting Ayodhya's revived cultural pride as the epicentre of Ram Lalla's temple festivities.
Two Guinness Records in One Night
Guinness Records officials Richard Stenning and Nischal Barot report Ayodhya's achievement as:
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Largest Display of Oil Lamps: 26,17,215 diyas lit at one time and authenticated.
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Highest Number of Individuals Conducting Diya Rotation Together: 2,128 worshippers engaging in coordinated aarti along Saryu's ghats.
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Both records broke the earlier benchmarks set by Ayodhya in 2024 and were officially certified on the spot by Guinness World Records officials.
Read more: Which state is called The Land of Enlightenment?
Significance and Global Recognition
The Deepotsav 2025's glow of Ayodhya was not only a show, it symbolized India's changing balance between the old and new-style management. Panoramic views were shot with the help of drones to broadcast live, and millions of people globally witnessed the festival virtually. BBC and Reuters, among other international news agencies, described it as "the world's largest light display celebrating faith and unity".
The state governments of India, from Ujjain to Varanasi, are now designing similar green lamp festivals on the model of Ayodhya based on bio-oil and recyclable earthen pots.
Deepotsav 2025 is more than just a Guinness achievement; it's a victory of India's collective consciousness, passion, and cultural heritage. The sea of 26 lakh glowing diyas that Ayodhya created is a redefinition of tradition embracing technology, demonstrating that when people come together for a cause of faith, records are not only broken but redefined. With every swaying flame, the city lit the indelible message of light over darkness, hope over despair, and harmony over humanity.
Read more: Which City is Called the Oxford of the East?
Kirti Sharma is a journalist in the education domain with three and a half years of experience creating high-quality content for the education technology (EdTech) and digital media industries. She has an expertise in covering education news. Kirti has experience in writing data backed informational pieces on General knowledge.
Kirti holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, which helped build her strong foundation in writing and research. Over the course of her career, she has brought her skills to a variety of well-known companies, including ThoughtPartners Global, Infinite Group, and MIM-Essay. Through these roles, she has learned how to take complex information and turn it into engaging, easy-to-understand content for readers online.
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