India, Nov. 4 -- LUCKNOW Beneath the autumn sky at Ram Ki Paidi, a quiet choreography of clay is already underway. Across all 56 ghats, thousands of college students are crouching in neat, gridded rows, placing earthen lamps. By Saturday evening, their groundwork is set to culminate in a glowing sea of 30 lakh diyas -the centrepiece of Ayodhya's 10th Deepotsav.

But the milestone 10th edition, organised under the guidance of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is designed to be more than a spectacle of light. As the wicks are readied, the temple town is transforming into a dynamic cultural confluence, bringing together folk traditions from across Uttar Pradesh and other states under one festive canopy.

From the athletic swirls of West Bengal...