Celebrated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 'Dev Deepawali' falls fifteen days after Diwali (Kartik Amavasya), on the full moon of the Hindu month Kartika. This year, Dev Deepawali will be celebrated today, on the 18th of November.
The auspicious occasion of the world-famous 'Dev Deepawali' also known as 'Kartik Poornima' attracts hundreds of devotees from across India and even abroad every year. Celebrated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 'Dev Deepawali' falls fifteen days after Diwali (Kartik Amavasya), on the full moon of the Hindu month Kartika.
As per legends, Lord Shiva in his form as Tripurantaka killed the demon Tripurasura on this day. While the festival is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Shiva over demon Tripurasur, it is also the birth anniversary of Lord Kartik, warrior son of Lord Shiva. Dev Diwali is also the last day of Ganga Mahotsav, a tourist-centric festival in Varanasi.
On Dev Diwali, devotees light millions of earthen lamps on the riverfront of the river Ganga, from Rajghat to the Ravidas Ghat at the southern end. Devotees also observe the festival by taking holy bath in the Ganges, it is called Kartik Snan. The world-famous Ganga aarti, which is a major tourist attraction, is performed in the evening.
