UP CM to launch portal for virtual 'Deepotsav'

UP government is scheduled to launch a website on the eve of Diwali for a virtual 'Deepotsav'. The portal will comprise a portrait of Lord Ram before which the virtual lamps will be lit.

Lucknow:The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will launch a website this Diwali for a virtual 'Deepotsav', enabling people to participate in the event by lighting a virtual 'diya'.

"The virtual 'Deepotsav' will be no less real than the actual one and thus, this platform will enable a real experience. The portal will comprise a portrait of Lord Ram before which the virtual lamps will be lit. The portal will have a facility to pick up the lamp-stand of one's choice -- steel, brass or any other material," a UP government statement said.

"An option of using ghee or oil will also be available for the devotees. Not only this, the hands of the person lighting up the lamp on the website would be based on whether the devotee is a man or a woman. After the lamps are lit, based on the details of the devotees, a "thank-you" digital letter carrying Lord Ram's picture from the UP Chief Minister will also be issued. The web portal will be uploaded before the main event on November 13 available for the common people," the statement added.

While the Deepotsav in Ayodhya will be held for the fourth time since it began in 2017, this is the first time it will be virtually held on November 13, a day before Diwali.

The statement said Yogi Adityanath has issued instructions to make the Ayodhya Deepotsav grander this time but also cautioned that there should be no breach of Covid-19 protocol.

The Chief Minister said, "During the Deepotsav along with 'Ram Ki Paidi', all mutts, temples and homes will also light lamps so that the whole temple town of Ayodhya is lit up brightly."

The government aims at lighting up more than 5.5 lakh lamps this time to set a new Guinness World record by breaking its last year's record of 4.1 lakh lamps.

The statement said the portal will also allow a virtual selfie with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

IANS Report