2 Days Varanasi Dev Diwali Tour

On arrival at Varanasi airport / railway station, you will be welcomed & received by our representative and transferred to the hotel. Varanasi is center of Hindu culture. Varanasi, the city of Lord Shiva, is one of the main holy places of India. Hindu pilgrims come to bathe in the waters of the Ganges to purify themselves of all sins. Varanasi is also considered a propitious place to spend the last days as exhaling here the last breathe is considered to impart ‘moksha’- liberation from the cycle of rebirths. Harishchandra Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat are major cremation ghats. The city is epitome of Hinduism and the Ganges is considered the river of salvation, a symbol of hope for all believers. Check in at the hotel to relax.

Late afternoon, head out for an eventful evening to celebrate Dev Diwali to experience religious activities on the banks of River Ganga on guided sightseeing tour. It’s a special evening. You will witness celebration of Dev Diwali while enjoying boat ride in River Ganga. It offers most beautiful view of the cultural extravaganza. Dev Diwali should not be confused with Diwali. This annual festival in Varanasi is celebrated 15 days after Diwali on Kartik Purnima (the auspicious full moon day according to the Hindu beliefs). Also known as Tripurotsav, Dev Diwali is the day when Lord Shiva killed demon Tripurasur. The Hindu faithful gather on the ghats of Varanasi in large number, have holy dip in River Ganga, perform prayers and offer lit ‘diyas’ or clay oil-lamps to the holy river considered as mother and pronounced as Ganga Ma (mother Ganga). All the ghats along with adjoining buildings and temples are sumptuously lit by the ‘diyas’. Lightening of floating ‘diyas’ in the backdrop of glittering ghats & buildings create a scene that keeps one mesmerized. Capture these scenes in your camera. It’s surely a delightful moment for photography aficionado. A special and visually magnanimous evening Ganga Aarti, performed by 24 priests and 24 girls collectively, takes place on highly decorated Dashashwamedh Ghat of Varanasi.

A less publicized but highly recommended ritual is paying tribute to the martyres of Varanasi. A wreath is put forth on Amar Jawan Jyoti on Dashashwamedh Ghat. It is carried out by Indian Armed Forces and Bhagirath Shourya Samman, an award to recommemorate the contribution of our braves, is conferred. Thus, the celebration ends on patriotic note.

Later in the night, you will be transferred to hotel to spend time in leisure and have overnight stay therein.

The full day guided Varanasi tour will commence very early in the morning, during dawn hours. Wake up at the time of sunrise for a boat trip on River Ganga to observe thousands of pilgrims and devotees worshipping the rising sun. Accompanied by Varanasi tour guide, you will be able to see Hindus from all parts of India, practice their faith on the banks of the sacred river. It is a salient moment of the cultural lifestyle of Varanasi. During dawn hours, the temples along the river are bathed in a dim light. The inhabitants of Varanasi are seen emerging from the labyrinth of alleys and heading for the ghats, where they wash clothes, practice yoga, offer flowers and incense to the river and take a ritual bath. A boat ride in the Ganga along the ghats of Varanasi will be conducted. Observe the pilgrims taking bath, the sadhus meditating and the priests carrying out funeral rites. After boat cruise, a heritage walk through the narrow but lively alleys will be conducted. During the heritage walk tour of Varanasi, visit Vishwanath Temple & Annapurna Devi Temple. Hereinafter, return to hotel to rfresh and have breakfast.

Now, again proceed on a guided city tour of Varanasi that will include visits to famous temples and BHU. Sankat Mochan Temple, Durga Temple and Bharat Mata (Mother India) Temple are prominent temples to be visited. Therafter, drive to Sarnath, an ancient Buddhist settlement where Buddha delivered his first sermon, initiating Dharmachakrapravartana. Then Sarnath was one of the most important cultural sites of ancient India, visited by the Chinese travelers Fa-Hsien and Hiuen Tsang who wrote about its prosperous monasteries. Sarnath tour comprises visits to ravaged Buddhist monastery, stupas, Ashoka Pillar, temples and museum. The most important monument of the complex is the Dhamekh Stupa (5th century AD), built in the place where it is believed that Buddha preached his first sermon to five disciples. It is a 43.5 m high cylindrical structure of the Gupta age. To the west is the Dharmarajika Stupa, built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka to preserve the relics of the Buddha. Overall there are also smaller monasteries and temples, a Tree of Illumination planted in 1931 and the statue of Anagarika Dharmapala, the founder of the company that maintained Sarnath and Bodhgaya. Also visit Sarnath Museum and, later in the evening, you will be transferred in-time to airport / railway station.