LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Millions of Indians began celebrating the annual Hindu festival Festival of Lights, Diwali, by symbolically lighting a record 2.51 million clay oil lamps at dusk on Wednesday on the banks of the Saryu River in a northern Indian city they believe is the birthplace of the deity Lord Ram.

Diwali is the most important thing Festival of the year in Indiaespecially for the Hindu majority. It is celebrated through social gatherings and exchanging gifts with loved ones. Light lots of candles and clay oil lamps. Fireworks are lit. In the evening, a special prayer is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring good luck and prosperity.

A Guinness Book of Records team presented Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with a certificate for the unprecedented number of oil lamps, surpassing last year's 2.2 million. Drone cameras closely monitored what was happening.

The celebrations took place in the northern city of Ayodhya, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was nine months ago opened a controversial Hindu temple The building was built on the ruins of a historic mosque following a Supreme Court ruling and was seen as a political victory for the populist leader. With the construction of the temple dedicated to Lord Ram, a long-standing wish of millions of Hindus was fulfilled.

On Wednesday, thousands of volunteers lit lamps called “diyas” along river banks, alleys, facades and roofs of houses.

“More than 30,000 volunteers, mostly students, worked meticulously to maintain the systematic pattern of burning lamps for the prescribed time,” said Dr. Pratibha Goyal, Vice Chancellor of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, which coordinated the massive effort.

The lamps shone along the 55 steps on the river bank Saryu River provided a captivating spectacle over 1.5 kilometers (one mile). As the lamps burned for more than five minutes, government spokesman Shishir Singh said Ayodhya had achieved its seventh consecutive world record for the largest exhibition.

Singh said that around 91,000 liters (about 24,000 gallons) of mustard oil were used to light the lamps.

The event transformed Ayodhya to a city of lights amidst devotional bhajan singing. A laser show featuring scenes from the epic Ramayana completed the experience and eco-friendly fireworks lit up the skyline. Traditional decorations, including ornate arches and grand gates along the main streets, captured the festive atmosphere, while folk cultural performances attracted pilgrims to the streets.

The festival also included a prayer ceremony conducted by 1,100 priests along the river banks.

Security measures have been tightened across the city. Paramilitary commandos, bomb detectors, dog squads, facial recognition technology and real-time surveillance drones are in use, police officer Rajkaran Nayyar said.

Major Hindu festivals such as Dussehra and Diwali are associated with mythological stories about Lord Ram, extolling the virtues of truth, sacrifice and ethical governance.

The main Diwali celebrations take place across the country on Thursday.