Dev Deepawali in Varanasi

Dev Diwali or Dev Deepawali, a well known and divine festival, is celebrated in Varanasi every year with utmost religious zeal. It is Deepawali of the gods or Devas. One needs not to be confused with Diwali as Dev Deepawali festival is celebrated fifteen days after Diwali. It is a festival of lights, when millions of diyas (earthen oil lamps) are lit on 87 ghats of Varanasi spread across a radius of 7 kms. Varanasi emerges at its cultural best while celebrating and rejoicing Dev Deepawali. Dev Deepawali, also known as Kartik Purnima or Tripurari Purnima, is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima), in the month of Kartik (November-December). Apart from Varanasi, Dev Diwali is also celebrated in other parts of the country including Gujarat and other northern states of India. In Maharashtra, Dev Diwali is observed on the first day of the month of ‘Margashirsh’. It portrays a traditional and alluring image of the country in front of the other nations.

As per legend, Dev Deepawali is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasur who used to harass the saints and sages and hence, it is also known as Tripurotsav. The festival is mainly associated with Lord Shiva’s worship. As per another legend regarding Dev Deepawali celebration is associated with Sage Vishwamitra. Sage Vishwamitra with the help of his powers, bodily transferred king Trishanku to heaven for which the gods disapproved and pushed him out of the doors of the heaven. As a result, the king came to a position where he belonged to neither earth nor heaven. It angered Vishwamitra and he decided to construct a new universe through his powers. The frightened gods prayed to him to stop this process. The sage finally acceded to the request. From then onwards the gods, humans, and inhabitants of the netherworld, too, celebrate this day as Dev Diwali. Besides, Jains believe that Lord Mahavira had given up his mortal coils and attained final Moksha on Dev Diwali day.

The ritual of lighting diyas on the occasion of Dev Diwali in Varanasi was started first at the Panchganga Ghat in 1985. Numerous diyas are set on the steps of the ghats, starting from Ravidas Ghat at the southern end to Rajghat. It is believed that on Dev Deepawali Poonam, gods and goddesses descend on earth to take a holy bathe in the river Ganga.

The Occasion of Dev Diwali is celebrated by all and sundry. People decorate their houses with lights and colorful design arts, burn crackers and fill up their heart with pious thoughts. Devotees from varied regions carry out many rituals on this day, mainly Kartik Snan (holy bath in the Ganges during Kartik) and deepdan (offering of lighted lamps) to Ganga in the evening. Since the time of dusk, on the streets of Varanasi, a large number of processions of beautifully decorated deities are taken out with full enthusiasm.

Dev Deepawali is celebrated for 5 days, starting on Prabodhini Ekadashi (11th lunar day of Kartik) and ending up on Kartik Purnima. A lot of musical and cultural programs are organized on the ghats that attract large gatherings. The traditional last performance is given by Army, Navy and Air Force collectively, followed by a closing ceremony with lighting of sky lamps. This festival is also celebrated as a remembrance of our martyrs. A tribute is given to those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country and protected us from the external threats. This event is organized by the ‘Ganga Seva Nidhi’. A large number of tourists from across the globe gather during this occasion and hotels are booked since a year prior the event. A visitor, interested in visiting Varanasi to be witness to Dev Deepawali, need to book Varanasi tour quite in advance to avoid any last-minute glitch.

Date & Schedule of Dev Diwali in Varanasi

Year

Date

Day

2019 November 12 Tuesday
2020 November 29 Sunday
2021 November 18 Thursday
2022 November 07 Monday
2023 November 26 Sunday
2024 November 15 Friday
2025 November 05 Wednesday

2 Days Varanasi Dev Diwali Tour

Varanasi Dev Diwali Tour

Varanasi

2 Days
Dev Dipawali Varanasi Tour

Dev Dipawali Varanasi Tour

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Destination : Delhi- Jaipur-Abhaneri- Fatehpur Sikri- Agra- Varanasi-Haridwar-Rishikesh

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Golden Triangle with Varanasi Tour

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