Varanasi to light up for Deep Deepavali, a festival of lights that is not Diwali

Varanasi, Nov 03: Everyone knows how the entire country lights up with diyas, candles and lights on the moonless night of Diwali, when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya with Sita and Laksman after spending 13 years in exile.

Deepavali is also celebrated as the day when Lord Krishna won the battle against Narakasura. But there is another festival of lights that is celebrated in the country, exactly 15 days after Deepavali.

Often confused with Deepavali due to the similarity in names, Deep Deepavali is celebrated in the temple town of Varanasi. This year, the festival is being celebrated on November 7 and the city of Varanasi is gearing up to host Dev Deepavali once again.

This year, 10 lakh diyas will adorn 80+ ghats of temple town Varanasi. Also, major temples, ponds and lakes of Kashi will be lit by earthen lamps, an official told Hindustan Times. On this day, priests in large numbers perform aarti in the evening at the ghats. People also decorate their houses with oil lamps and burst firecrackers.

The tradition of lighting the lamps on the Dev Deepavali festival day was first started at the Panchganga Ghat in 1985.

Is Dev Deepavali different from Diwali?

People often mistake Dev Deepavali to be the same as Diwali. The confusion arises due to the similarity in the names and also because both festivals are associated with lights.

However, the fact is Dev Deepavali comes 15 days after the actual Diwali.

Diwali is observed around the last day of Krishna Paksha (dark lunar fortnight) in the month of Ashvini as per the Hindu calendar. Dev Deepavali, meanwhile, is celebrated on the full moon of the Hindu month of Karthik masa.
Diwali was celebrated as a signifier of the triumph of good over evil after Lord Krishna's Victory over the demon Narakasura.

Whereas Dev Deepavali commemorates Lord Shiva's victory against Tarakasura's three sons - Tarakasksha, Kamlashksha, and Vidyunmail. To celebrate the special occasion, Hindus light up the ghats in Varanasi, the abode of Lord Shiva.