Ayodhya: Sand artists recreating episodes of Ramayana

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 22 : As the grand preparations for the 'Deepotsava' in Ayodhya entered the final stages, the administration is leaving no stone unturned to make the event this year historic.
With an aim to make the Deepavali festival, a grand celebration in Ayodhya as the construction of Ram Temple is underway, the sand artists and students of Kashi Vidyapeeth Fine Arts Department who came from Varanasi are recreating famous episodes of Ramayana including, 'Bharat Milap, and 'Ram Laxman, Seeta' symbolising "Treta Yug", the second of the four yugas (a vast period of time) in Hinduism, the government informed in a press release.
A team of 20 students, led by Rupesh Singh, a student of the Fine Arts Department of Kashi Vidyapeeth, is engaged in this work for the last two days. Rupesh informed this is the third time he is creating sand art in Ayodhya on the occasion of Deepotsava.
Regarding the figures being carved through the sand, Rupesh Singh said that he has worked here on the basis of a Ramayana series, in which the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be carved. After this, various episodes will be shown from the time of the arrival of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after the victory of Lanka.
In the sequence of the artefacts being engraved, first, the arrival of Lord Rama from Pushpak Viman, followed by the episode of Kevat, then through Bharat Milap and Charan Vandana, the characters will be brought alive through the work.
"Even though we have been creating sand art at various places, the energy and spiritual positivity that is felt in Ayodhya is heavenly," said the team.
In the sixth 'Deepotsav', 16 tableaux will be presented, in which various scenes of Ramayana will be presented to the public. On October 23, the tableau procession will start from Saket Mahavidyalay and reach the Naya Ghat intersection while travelling to the city.
Whereas 11 tableaux were taken out last year, 16 tableaux will be taken out this time. These tableaux will depict the Ram Janmabhoomi Model, Kashi Corridor, Vision 2047, 1090 and the journey from the birth of Lord Rama to the coronation.
The centre of attraction in the Deepotsav will be a tableau giving social messages based on Ramayana-era education. Artists will ride on 16 chariots bringing alive the scenes of the Ramayana era through their art. Apart from this, various dancers from all over the country will perform and dance around the chariots.
This year, out of 16 chariots 11 chariots are being prepared by the Information Department and 5 will be digital, which will be taken out on open trucks by the Department of Tourism. It will be based on scenes from the Ramayana era, in which the model of Ram temple and the model of development of 2047 Ayodhya will be presented.
Ram Tirath, administrative officer of Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan, said that this time many artists of the state will get an opportunity to participate in the procession in the Deepotsav. The procession will leave from Saket Mahavidyalaya at 9 am, which will reach the venue of Deepotsav at around 1 am.