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Dev Deepawali is one of the most famous festivals in Varanasi. It is celebrated on Kartik Purnima, 15 days after Diwali – the festival of lights. This year, Dev Diwali will be celebrated on Monday, 30 November 2020.
The ghats of Varanasi on Dev Diwali are alive with millions of diyas (clay lamps) and thousands of visitors from all over the world. All the ghats and their staircases from Ravidas to Raj Ghat appear to be shining and glittering like a stairway to heaven.
The water of the Ganges reflects the light of the beautiful full moon. It is an ineffective scene that can only be experienced by being there and witnessing it.
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Why Dev Deepawali is celebrated
Dev Diwali is celebrated in Kashi, the city of Lord Shiva. This festival is celebrated every year on the day of Kartik Purnima, 15 days after the celebration of Diwali. This year Dev Diwali will be celebrated on 30th of November. It is religious belief that on this day all the gods come to celebrate happiness in Kashi. Therefore, the entire Kashi is decorated with light like a beautiful bride. The Ghats of Varanasi are illuminated with lamps and earthen lights. The question is, why is Dev Diwali celebrated in Kashi? What is the reason behind this? Come let us know the full history and mythological beliefs about it.
- According to mythological belief, Lord Vishnu wakes up after 4 months of sleep on Devauthani Ekadashi, a few days before Kartik Purnima. In whose joy, all the gods descend from heaven and lit the lamps on the Ghats of Banaras.
- Another such belief is that on Diwali, Goddess Lakshmi wakes up before lord Lord Vishnu, hence the Diwali of the God is celebrated after the 15 day of Deepawali on Kartik Purnima.
- According to another belief, Tripurasura has the terror of the demon in all the three worlds. Then Lord Shiva reached Kashi on the day of Kartik Purnima and killed the Tripurasura demon and saved everyone from his atrocities. Pleased by this, all the gods celebrated the Deepotsav by lighting a lamp in the heavens.
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History of celebration
Dev Diwali was first celebrated in 1915 at the Panchganga Ghat in Kashi by lightening thousands of lamps. After then lamps were decorated in ghats in Varanasi in a grand manner.
This celebration starts taking a grand form about three decades ago with the efforts of some enthusiastic local youth. A social worker named Narayan Guru started it from a few ghats by forming a group of locals, after which gradually the popularity of this festival started increasing.
Celebration this year
This year, a grand show is planned at the Ghats of Varanasi which has never happened before and will not take place in future. Along with this, there will be a grand display of the glory of Kashi, the glory of Shiva and the Ganga descent etc. through laser shows and projectors on the water waves in the Ganges river. Dev Deepawali is celebrated on a large scale every year at the Ghats and people from all over the world come to witness the auspicious occasion.
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After the grand and successful celebration of Diwali in Ayodhya, the government is going to make Kashi’s world-famous Dev Diwali grand. Last year, the ghats were illuminated with the light of one million earthen lamps (Diyas), while this time more than 15 lakh diyas will be lit to make Dev Diwali beautiful. On November 30, on the day of Kartik Purnima, 84 ghats of Varanasi will be lit by the light of 15 lakh diyas. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are expected to attend the program.
Cultural programs are to be organized on 20-25 Ghats on the day. Tourists visiting here will also be able to take a mesmerizing view from the boat. Apart from the previous years, tourists will get to see a lot of new things this time. There will also be such a system in Ganga Aarti that people follow social distancing and other COVID-19 guidelines issued by government.
Importance of Dev Deepawali
It is believed that it is considered very auspicious to donate lamp on Dev Diwali called Deepdaan. On this day, lighting of earthen lamps gives special grace to Lord Vishnu who gives money, and fame in the house.
During this time, nature behaves in a special way, through which positive energy flows and the atmosphere is filled with excitement and enthusiasm. This brings happiness on the whole earth. A special reason for this happiness on earth is that various fasts and festivals are organized throughout the Kartik month.
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