Dev Deepawali – Festival of a Million Lights

Dev Deepawali is celebrated in Varanasi to mark Lord Shiva’s victory over the demon Tripurasur. It is celebrated 15 days after Diwali and is also called Tripurotsav. This festival observed on Kartik Pournima (the full moon day of Kartik month) is also a grand festival of lights, just like Diwali but its rituals are conducted in a different manner. Holy Dip And Deepdan On the morning of Dev Deepawali,  a large number of devotees flock on the banks of river Ganges to take a dip in the sacred river. In the evening, prayers are offered to the holy river and the ghats come alive with the splendor of a thousand lights. This act of offering lit up diyas or lamps to Ganga is called Deepdan. It is not only the ghats, but all temples in this holy city are lit up with lamps that make for a grand spectacle. A Tourist Destination Varanasi becomes a place of tourist attraction as people from all over the world flock there to witness the grand Dev Deepawali celebrations. While many take a morning bath in the Ganges which is also called the Kartik Snan, the major attraction is the Ganga Aarti which draws huge crowds. You cannot contain the wonder on beholding the sight of the banks of the Ganga lit up with more than a thousand lighted lamps. It appears as if a thousand stars have descended on earth and the memory of this illuminated city will stay with you for a long time. Apart from the grand festivities, Dev Diwali is also an occasion when the city remembers its martyrs. Officers of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force participate in the ceremony wherein wreaths are laid at the Amar Jawan Jyoti on the famous Dashashwamedh Ghat. The breathtaking view of a thousand lights offered to river Ganga is an unforgettable experience that draws crowds from all over the world to Varanasi on the occasion of Dev Diwali.