Dev Deepawali 2024: An Amazing Festival on the Bank of River Ganges
The year long wait is over, the auspicious day is just a few days ahead. Every year, the Holy Festival of Dev Deepawali is celebrated with a lot of grandeur & excitement in the ancient auspicious city of Varanasi. Also known as Dev Deepawali, the festival is called “Deepawali of the Gods”. It is celebrated as the victory of Lord Shiva over Tripurasura, the demon to save heaven. Hence, this day is also known as Tripurari Purnima or Tripurotsav. Every year, Lord Shiva’s devotees celebrate Dev Deepawali by taking a dip in the holy river Ganga in Varanasi and offering Pooja. It is believed that the Gods (Dev Gan) come down to earth from heaven on this day on the Ghats of Varanasi to celebrate the festival of lights.
When do we Celebrate Dev Deepawali?
Dev Deepawali 2024 – Every year, the festival of Dev Diwali is celebrated on the full moon night (Purnima) of the month of Kartika. Generally, it takes place 15 days after Deepawali, and this year, we Indians will be observing the “Festival of Devas (Gods)”, Dev Deepavali on Sunday, November 15, 2024 at 5:10 PM TO 07:47 PM. On this day, the Kashi (Varanasi) Ghats will be illuminated with millions of earthen lamps. Aarti is performed, and people exchange Dev Deepawali wishes.
Why is Dev Deepawali/Diwali celebrated?
There are various stories behind the celebration of Dev Deepawali. On the one hand, Deepawali marks the return of Lord Rama with his wife Sita & brother Lakshman after defeating Ravana, King of Lanka, after 14 years of exile. The celebrations of Deepawali don’t stop here. To understand what Dev Deepawali is and why Dev Deepawali is celebrated, let us take you to the past. Dev Deepawali takes place 15 days after Deepawali. It marks an end to the Deepawali celebrations and concludes the Tulsi Vivah ritual. To experience the festive joy, one must visit the Ghats of Varanasi.
Dev Deepawali is celebrated in honor of Lord Shiva, who gained victory over three demons, namely Vidyunmali, Tarakaksha, and Viryavana, together known as Tripurasura. They successfully obtained Lord Brahma’s blessings by performing rigorous reparation that they would not die until they were shot to death by a single arrow. After receiving the boon from God, they started destroying the earth. As a result, Lord Shiva assumed the form of Tripurari and shot all three of them to death using a single arrow, restoring happiness, harmony & delight. Apart from this story, some people observe the day as the birth anniversary of Lord Karthik, the God of War and the Son of Lord Shiva. This is also believed to be the day when Lord Vishnu entered his first incarnation. “Matsya”. In addition to the religious significance, Dev Deepawali Varanasi also has a patriotic significance. On this day, a remembrance of martyrs of Indian armed forces is performed at the Ghats who died fighting for India.
How is Dev Deepawali Celebrated?
Dev Deepawali holds utmost value & importance for the holy land of Varanasi and some parts of Gujarat. If you want to witness the immense holy & compelling atmosphere, visit Varanasi. The day starts with “Kartik Snan”, where the devotees dip in the holy waters of Ganga in the early morning. People decorate their homes on this day with Rangoli and light up candles. They also recite various Mantras, Aarati etc. followed by the distribution of Bhog (Prasad).
After that, each Ghat, including the Ganges in Varanasi, Rishikesh, Haridwar, and many other cities, are decorated with earthen lamps and Diyas. It looks mesmerizing & can steal the show. It is later followed by 24 holy chants & Vedic mantras by 24 Brahmins and Ganga Arti. If you are visiting Varanasi and didn’t witness Ganga Arti in Dev Deepawali Varanasi, your trip will be incomplete. A group of Brahmins hold large Aartis in their hand and move in a united motion, a great treat to the eyes & ears.
Now, this Ganga Aarati is performed every day after the Sunset. It’s a heavenly feeling to observe this Aarati.
Importance of Dev Deepawali
Varanasi is an ideal religious & auspicious destination where people from different countries visit this ancient city to experience the holy atmosphere & spend some days here. Here, they feel blissful breathing in the spiritual practices on the river Ganga’s banks or ghats. They pay a visit to the temples in the city. When the Dev Deepawali festival arrives, the city of Varanasi appears as the magnificent abode of the Gods. The city simply exhibits the “City of Lights”. Being on this day in Varanasi is truly a one-time experience. All the Ghats are well decorated and lit with Diyas all over. It creates a mesmerizing effect and a different feeling which cannot be narrated in words, but it can be only felt by being there.
Beyond any doubt the celebration of Dev Deepawali 2024 is a larger, spiritual & marvelous event in Varanasi that every devotee would want to witness at some point in life. The city is a winner in performing Ganga Aarti, where the Ghats are filled with millions of diyas & holy chants. People decorate their homes with colorful lights and offer Bhog Prasad to God and distribute it among family, friends and neighbors. So, if you want to experience the divinity of Dev Deepawali 2024, male a plan to visit the holy city of Kashi/Benaras/Varanasi on this auspicious day and witness the grandness of this celebration. Wishing you all a Happy Dev Deepawali.
Video Credit: YouTube & BrainWing