Dev Diwali or Dev Deepawali is the ‘Festival of Lights, of the Gods’. It is celebrated on the full moon day (which is called Purnima) in the month of Kartik (November), as per the traditional Hindu calendar.
Dev Diwali is celebrated to honour the victory of Lord Shiva over the demon named ‘Tripurasur’. For this reason, this festival is also known as ‘Tripurotsav’. It also coincides with the Jain light festival and Guru Nanak Jayanti.
One must know the significance of this festival too. This day celebrates the power of Lord Shiva. Further, it is believed that Gods descend from heaven to bathe in Ganga on this day. Dev Diwali is hence commemorated.
On this day, thousands & lakhs of Diyas (earthen lamps) are let to float in the holy water of the Ganges & ghats of Varanasi, paying respects to the Gods who have descended. This is a traditional ritual which has been in practice for long.
Dev Diwali is celebrated widely in states of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Most significantly, Dev Diwali is celebrated in Varanasi with huge fervor.
On this day, devotees consist of kartik snan (devotees and pilgrims take a holy dip early in the morning in the sacred water of Ganges during Kartika) and deepdan (offering of oil lighted lamps) in the honour of Goddess Ganga. Ganga Mahotsav is also held at Dasaswamedh Ghat (the famous Ganges ghat in Varanasi) on this occasion where a huge number of Hindu devotees start to visit the location.
Following this, Ganga aarti is performed in the evening on each ghat of the Ganges, with huge lamps and is performed by 21 Brahmin Priests along with 24 girls, with full devotion.
So the big question is when is Dev Diwali celebrated in the year of 2019? Many of my fellow friends and travelers from across the world must be planning to witness the divine scenic of dev Diwali in Varanasi.
As per the Gregorian calendar, this year (2019), Kartik Poornima falls on November 12.
So in case, if you wish to capture the divine scene of Varanasi and looking for some help in taking permission, assistance with camera equipment and managing you tour, you may contact us.