Ayodhya Deepotsav 2026: Date, Schedule, Rituals and How to See It

When Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, the people lit rows of lamps to welcome their king home and that first Diwali was born. Deepotsav is Ayodhya reliving that homecoming on the grandest scale on Earth. On the eve of Diwali, the steps of Ram Ki Paidi and 55 ghats along the Saryu are lined with over 28 lakh earthen lamps, lit together at dusk, a sea of fire that has carried Ayodhya into the record books year after year. I have brought pilgrims to this night and there is nothing on the pilgrim calendar quite like it.

This guide gives you the real Deepotsav 2026 date, the full schedule hour by hour, what the Shobha Yatra, the Rajyabhishek and the Saryu Maha Aarti mean, the drone and laser shows, the Diwali and puja days that follow and the honest crowd and access advice you need. Let me prepare you for Ram's city at its most radiant. See the full festival page for Deepotsav and our Ayodhya tour packages to plan the trip.

Ayodhya Deepotsav 2026 at a Glance: Key Takeaways

• Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026 (Chhoti Diwali / Narak Chaturdashi), eve of Diwali.
• Edition: the 10th Deepotsav, with a target of over 28 lakh (2.8 million) diyas.
• Where: Ram Ki Paidi and 55 ghats along the Saryu River.
• Diya lighting: all lamps lit together about 6:30 PM to 7:15 PM.
• Saryu Maha Aarti: 5:45 PM to 6:20 PM by 1,100 priests at Naya Ghat.
• Drone & laser show: a 500-drone aerial show and 3D laser/hologram show from about 7:30 PM.
• Golden rule: crowds are huge and that access is controlled, so arrive early and plan your spot.

A Word From Your Guide

I am Rajeev Sharma, born in Varanasi and guiding pilgrims across Ayodhya, Kashi, Prayagraj, Naimisharanya and Bodhgaya for more than forty years. Deepotsav is the most spectacular night in Ram's city and also the most tightly managed: the main ghats are organised by the state administration, access is controlled and lakhs of people pour in. This is the one event where going without a plan means seeing very little. I know the viewing ghats, the timing of the lamps and the aarti and how to move through a city under a sea of visitors. Come prepared and it is unforgettable. I speak Hindi, Telugu and Kannada, so South Indian families are looked after in their own tongue.

Deepotsav 2026 and the Diwali Days in Ayodhya

Dates follow the 2026 Diwali calendar; the administration confirms the Deepotsav programme closer to the date.

Deepotsav 2026 Full Schedule (Saturday, 7 November)

Timings are indicative and set by the state administration each year; the programme and slots may shift. Confirm close to the date.

What Is Deepotsav and Why Ayodhya Keeps It

Deepotsav means the festival of lamps. It is Ayodhya's grand civic celebration of the return of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman from fourteen years of exile, the event that the original Diwali commemorates. Begun in its modern form in 2017, it has grown every year and the 2026 edition is the 10th. Each year the city sets out to light more earthen lamps than ever before, all together at dusk along the Saryu and the count has repeatedly entered the Guinness World Records. It is at once an act of devotion, a retelling of the Ramayana and the most dazzling light festival in the country.

The Night's Great Moments

• Ramayan Shobha Yatra: through the morning, tableaux and performers bring scenes of the Ramayana through the streets to Ram Katha Park.
• Rajyabhishek: In the afternoon, the symbolic coronation of Ram and Sita is enacted, the homecoming made whole.

The Saryu Maha Aarti by 1,100 priests, lamps and conches moving as one along Naya Ghat, is the devotional heart of the evening, just before the diyas are lit.

• The lighting of the lamps: at dusk, over 28 lakh diyas are lit together across Ram Ki Paidi and 55 ghats, the sea of fire that defines Deepotsav.
• Drone and laser show: a 500-drone aerial display and a 3D laser and hologram show over the Saryu retell the Ramayana in light above the water.

Diwali and Main Puja in Ayodhya (Sunday, 8 November)

The day after Deepotsav is Diwali itself. At the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, Ram Lalla is offered a special Chhappan Bhog, the 56-dish offering, with a grand night aarti. Kanak Bhawan and Hanuman Garhi stay open with extended, special night darshan, decked in rows of ghee lamps and electric lights. It is one of the most beautiful nights to have darshan in Ram's city.

Govardhan Puja and Annakoot (Monday, 9 November)

Two days after Deepotsav comes Govardhan Puja, marked in Ayodhya's temples with the Annakoot, the 56-bhog mountain of food offered to the Lord and then distributed as prasad. If you can stay the extra day, it is a gentle, joyful close to the festival after the grandeur of the lamps.

Vrat and Puja Guidelines

• Narak Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali, 7 Nov): kept with an Abhyang Snan, the ritual oil bath at dawn, worship of Krishna or Hanuman and in the evening the Yam Dipdan, a lamp lit for Yamraj to ward off untimely death.
• Lakshmi Puja (8 Nov): many keep the Lakshmi Pujan vrat, a daytime fast and worship Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi in the evening during the auspicious Pradosh and Nishita Kaal muhurat.

Where to Watch From

Ram Ki Paidi is the heart of the lamp display, but on the night the main ghats are organised and access is controlled by the administration, often with passes and designated zones. The classic experiences are:

Ghat access on Deepotsav is managed by the state administration and can require passes or registration; arrangements change each year, so plan access in advance rather than turning up blind.

Crowd Advisory and Practical Tips

• Reach very early: lakhs attend and ghat zones fill and close well before dusk, so be in position by mid-afternoon.
• Expect heavy traffic restrictions: vehicles are stopped far from the ghats; plan to walk a long stretch.
• Sort access ahead: the best ghats are managed with passes or zones, so arrange your spot in advance.
• Keep your group together: in crowds this size, fix a meeting point and keep children and elders close.
• Travel light, dress warmly: early November evenings on the Saryu are cool and heavy bags slow you in the crush.
• Stay two or three days: pair Deepotsav eve with Diwali darshan on the 8th and Annakoot on the 9th for the full festival.

The Honest Bit

Let me be straight with you, because I would rather you came prepared than disappointed. Deepotsav is the most spectacular night in all of pilgrim India and it is also an enormous, tightly controlled public event. Lakhs upon lakhs of people come. The main ghats are run by the administration, access is restricted and if you arrive late and without a plan you may be kept far back and see little of the lamps. The whole secret is preparation: reach early, have your viewing sorted in advance and know how the city moves at night. Do that and you witness 28 lakh lamps light as one. Leave it to chance and the crowds decide your evening for you. That is exactly where a local hand earns its place.

Why Experience My India Is the Right Choice

I am Rajeev Sharma, guiding pilgrims for more than forty years across Ayodhya, Kashi, Prayagraj, Naimisharanya and Bodhgaya. For Deepotsav we plan the whole visit: a stay within reach of the ghats, an early arrival before the zones close, a good spot for the Saryu Maha Aarti and the lamps and darshan at Ram Janmabhoomi and Hanuman Garhi over the Diwali days. I speak Hindi, Telugu and Kannada, so South Indian families are at ease. With our Ayodhya Varanasi Tours team, Ram's most radiant night is planned down to the last lamp.

Related Guides

• Deepotsav festival page - dates, highlights and what the night holds.
• Ayodhya tour packages - plan your Deepotsav stay with a local guide.
• Ram Mandir tour package - darshan at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple over Diwali.
• Best time to visit Ayodhya - where Deepotsav sits in the Ayodhya calendar.
• Ayodhya itinerary - how to spend your days around the festival.

Explore Ayodhya

• Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir - the birthplace of Lord Ram and the heart of the city.
• Ram Ki Paidi and the Saryu Aarti - the ghats where the 28 lakh lamps are lit.
• Hanuman Garhi - the hilltop Hanuman temple, radiant on the Diwali nights.
• Kanak Bhawan - the golden palace temple of Ram and Sita.
• Ayodhya places to see - the full map of temples, ghats and sacred sites.

Plan Your Deepotsav Trip

Deepotsav books out early and ghat access is limited, so plan well ahead. Tell me your dates and group size and I will arrange your stay, your viewing for the lamps and aarti and darshan across the Diwali days. Browse our Ayodhya Varanasi Tour Packages or our Ram Mandir tour package or call and WhatsApp +91 7302265809 and we will plan it together.