Fiche festival
Asia
Dev Deepawali
Light Festival · Varanasi, India
Dates
Next edition: Tuesday, November 24, 2026 (Kartik Purnima, full moon of Kartik month, 15 days after Diwali)
Venue
Varanasi, Inde
Genres
Feast of Lights
The festival
Fifteen days after Diwali, at the full moon of Kartik Purnima, Varanasi celebrates Dev Deepawali, the "Diwali of the gods". According to tradition, the gods then descend into the Ganges, and the feast also honors Shiva's victory over the demon Tripura.
From ghat Ravidas, to the south, to Rajghat, the steps of all the ghats of the river are illuminated by more than a million earth lamps (diyas) in honor of Ganga, the goddess of the Ganges, while a great Ganga Aarti ignites the river at dusk. In 2026, the feast falls on Tuesday 24 November.
Good to know
The party is held on the ghats of the Ganges, from Ravidas Ghat to Rajghat; the great Ganga Aarti takes place at dusk. In 2026: Tuesday 24 November (Kartik Purnima).