Diwali in Ayodhya: Indian holy city lights record number of oil lamps

As part of the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, the north Indian city of Ayodhya set a new Guinness World Record by lighting 900,000 oil lamps and keeping them blazing for at least 45 minutes.

Hindus believe the deity Lord Rama was born in Ayodhya.

According to Hindu epic Ramayana, Diwali marks the return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita and brother Laxmana to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile and defeating the demon king Raavana.

As dusk fell Wednesday in Ayodhya, thousands of volunteers lighted diyas along the Saryu river's banks, along roads, and at homes.

Last year, the city lit606,569 oil lamps.

Guinness World Records representatives presented Yogi Adityanath, the state's chief minister, with a certificate after watching the event with drone-mounted cameras, according to Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Shishir Kumar.

(With inputs from agencies)