On the eve of the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali or Deepavali, the Indian city of Ayodhya staged a huge sea of ​​lights. Almost 1.6 million oil lamps were lit there - a world record, as local media reported on Monday.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the head of government of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, held a corresponding presumed confirmation of the Guinness Book of Records in pictures from the local news agency. An independent official confirmation from Guinness was initially not available. In previous years, the city had been recognized by Guinness for the largest exhibition of oil lamps to date - in 2021 for more than 900,000 lamps.

The Diwali Festival of Lights, which is also called Deepavali in certain regions, is one of the most important festivals in Hinduism and has a similar meaning to Christmas for many people in Germany. During the test, families come together and decorate their homes with lots of lights. They honor Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The festival also celebrates the victory of good over evil - or the victory of light over darkness.

According to Hindu belief, the city of Ayodhya is the birthplace of the most important god Ram. There were also fireworks and a laser show in the city for the festival of lights.

Photos ANI