Diwali in Ayodhya 2026: Guide to Dates & Best Events

Lakhs of diyas will glow along the Saryu this November, in the city where Rama is said to have come home. Diwali, the night Ayodhya lit lamps for his return, falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, and a new Guinness World Record is in the making on the same riverbank.

This year the city brings Ramleela stages, a drone show and the Saryu Aarti, and our guide covers when to arrive, how to reach the city and where to stay.

If you are still choosing where to spend the festival, our list of bestplaces to celebrate Diwali in Indiashows how Diwali in Ayodhya compares with other festival cities. For group travel to festivals across India and abroad, events and festival tour packages are a good place to start.

*Muhurat timings are as per Drik Panchang -  Ayodhya

The Ayodhya Diwali celebration is organised by the Uttar Pradesh government, and the full hour-by-hour schedule is announced only a few days before the event.

Thousands of volunteers light diyas along the Saryu ghats every year, and the count keeps rising. The 2025 Deepotsav set a Guinness World Record with 26.17 lakh diyas, and Ayodhya has broken its own record several times since 2017. For the 10th Deepotsav, the target is around 30 lakh diyas along the Saryu ghats, well above last year’s record. These are the events planned for Diwali in Ayodhya this year.

• Aiming to break its own Guinness record: Thousands of volunteers light diyas along the Saryu ghats every year, and the count keeps rising. The 2025 Deepotsav set a Guinness World Record with 26.17 lakh diyas, and Ayodhya has broken its own record several times since 2017. For the 10th Deepotsav, the target is around 30 lakh diyas along the Saryu ghats, well above last year’s record.
• Ram Ki Paidi on the Saryu: These stepped ghats are where most of the diyas are lit. After dusk, the steps fill with rows of lamps that reflect on the river, and the main aarti and light shows are held right here.
• Ramleela performances: Ramleela is planned on 10 to 15 stages on 6 and 7 November, 2026. Troupes from different states will perform in languages such as Malayalam, Assamese and Dogri, and a team from the Philippines will join them.
• Saryu Aarti and light shows: The Saryu Aarti is the evening most people remember, and around it you will find laser and sound shows that tell the Ramayana, tableaux from Rama’s life. And a 2,100-drone show over the river, planned for 7 November 2026 and set to be repeated on 9 November as part of the Jamghat celebrations.
• Ram Janmabhoomi Temple darshan: The temple holds special prayers and rituals through the festival days. Visitors arrive in large numbers, so an early morning darshan is the most comfortable way to go.
• Lit-up temples and ghats: Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and the Ram Mandir are decorated with flowers and string lights during the festival, and the quieter ghats towards Guptar Ghat are lit with diyas as well.

According to the Ramayana, after defeating Ravana in Lanka, Rama returned to Ayodhya, a city that had waited through his long exile. Its people lit rows of lamps to welcome him home, and that night of light is what Diwali remembers.

Ayodhya is also Rama's birthplace and the capital of his kingdom, so the Diwali celebration in Ayodhya carries extra weight for devotees. The city also marks Ram Navami with great devotion, but Diwali is when the homecoming itself is retold. The government-run Deepotsav started small and has grown larger every year since 2017. Diwali in Ayodhya is now one of the best-known festivals in the country.

• 6 November, Dhanteras: The city is busy but still easy to move around in, with decorations going up and the Ramleela stages already running, which makes it a good day for Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and the evening Saryu Aarti.
• 7 November, Choti Diwali and Deepotsav: This is the main day, so finish your darshan in the morning and rest through the afternoon before heading to the ghats early, since the roads around Ram Ki Paidi have been closed from the afternoon in earlier editions. The lamps are lit at dusk, and the aarti and the drone and laser shows come after that.
• 8 November, Diwali: The ghats are calmer than the night before, but the Ram Mandir stays very crowded, so go at opening time for darshan and keep the rest of the day relaxed. In the evening, you can walk through the lit-up streets near Ram Ki Paidi and catch the Saryu Aarti.
• 9 November, the day after: Many visitors leave this morning, so the temples and old bazaar lanes are quieter. The drone show is planned to be repeated at Jamghat in the evening, which makes it worth staying on.

By air: Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham is about 10 km from the city centre and has direct flights from Delhi and several other cities.

By train: Ayodhya Dham Junction is 3 km from the city centre and Ayodhya Cantt is 15 km away.

By road from nearby cities: If you are travelling from within Uttar Pradesh, these are the routes and distances to Ayodhya.

For stays, hotels and dharamshalas near Ram Path, Hanuman Garhi and the Saryu ghats keep the main sights within walking distance.

Rooms for Diwali in Ayodhya are best booked weeks ahead, and roads around Ram Ki Paidi are closed to vehicles from the afternoon on 7 November, so confirm how you will reach your hotel that day before you book. If rooms near the temple are taken, hotels towards Ayodhya Cantt are an option, though you will need a vehicle.

Food in Ayodhya in the Diwali season is mostly festive sweets and simple savoury dishes, made at home and by street vendors. Most food stalls and sweet shops stay open late during the festival, though prices near the main venues are higher than in the old town lanes.

• Puri-sabzi and kachori: A good breakfast before a long day of queues.
• Jalebi: Best eaten hot, straight from the kadhai.
• Peda and laddoo: Sold in the shops near the temples, and easy to carry home as prasad.

1. Book your Ram Mandir pass early. Ram Mandir Diwali darshan is free, and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust issues free darshan passes on its official website. Slots for festival weeks go quickly. Aarti access is booked separately, and you will need the photo ID used for the booking.
2. Leave electronics outside. Ayodhya in Diwali week keeps security tight at the temple, and phones, smartwatches and bags are not allowed inside the Ram Mandir, though lockers are available there.
3. Dress with respect. There is no fixed dress code, but modest, comfortable clothing is the respectful choice for a temple visit, so avoid outfits that leave the shoulders or knees uncovered.
4. Pick a viewing spot for the lamps. Most visitors at the Ayodhya Diwali celebration watch from the Saryu bridge or the ghats near Ram Ki Paidi. Entry to the lamp-lit stretch of Ram Ki Paidi itself has been controlled by passes, which go to officials, guests, volunteer teams and the media, so plan on a nearby viewpoint and arrive by mid-afternoon.
5. Leave room between stops. Ayodhya Diwali 2026 draws far larger crowds than an ordinary day, so keep a generous gap between darshan and your next stop.