Dev Diwali 2023 Date What is Dev Deepawali? Why it is celebrated in Varanasi

Dev Deepawali is a revered Indian festival that is important to the Hindu community. This auspicious festival is just around the corner and devotees are gearing up to celebrate it with great fanfare. This year, Dev Deepawali will be celebrated on Sunday, November 26. This grand festival, also known as Dev Diwali, is organized every year in the holy city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Dev Deepawali falls on the same day as Kartik Purnima, and the celebrations begin on the Ekadashi tithi of Kartik Shukla Paksha and end on the fifth day, which is the Kartik Purnima tithi (full moon night). This special day commemorates the triumph of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasura. As a result, the Utsav is often called Tripurotsav or Tripurari Purnima.

Dev Deepawali 2023: date and timings

According to Drikpanchang, the Pradoshakal Dev Deepavali Muhurat is from 5:08 PM to 7:47 PM on November 26, 2023. The total duration of muhurat is 2 hours and 39 minutes. Meanwhile, Purnima Tithi starts on November 26 at 3:53 PM and ends on November 27 at 2:45 PM.

Why is Dev Diwali celebrated in Varanasi?

Dev Diwali commemorates the victory of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasura. The city of Varanasi has a special significance for this festival as it is believed that the gods descend to Earth to bathe in the sacred Ganges River on this auspicious occasion.

The celebration of Dev Diwali in Varanasi is deeply rooted in the spiritual and cultural heritage of the city. It symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, the divinity of light over darkness, and the sacred connection between humanity and the divine.

Dev Deepawali 2023: Celebrations

On the auspicious day of Kartik Purnima, devotees take a holy dip in the Ganges River and light earthen lamps, or diyas, on Dev Deepawali. When night falls, millions of earthen lamps illuminate the stairs of all the ghats along the bank of the Ganges River. Not only the Ganges ghats but all the temples of Varanasi are illuminated by millions of diyas.

Dev Deepawali 2023: History and meaning

According to Hindu mythology, the demon Tarakasura had three sons: Vidyunmali, Tarakaksha and Kamalaksha, who were called Tripurasura.

Tripurasura pleased Lord Brahma with his penance and asked for immortality. However, Lord Brahma granted them the boon that they could only be killed by a single arrow.

Tripurasura unleashed chaos and caused massive destruction soon after receiving the blessings. To defeat them, Lord Shiva assumed the form of Tripurari or Tripurantaka and massacred them all with a single arrow. To commemorate this triumph, the gods and goddesses descended on Varanasi and lit millions of diyas, devotees believe.

This sacred festival is known as Dev Deepawali because the gods celebrated Diwali on this day after Lord Shiva defeated the demon Tripurasura. On Dev Deepawali, devotees wake up early to bathe in the holy water of the Ganges, light diyas at night and worship Lord Shiva.

Some people also reportedly celebrate Dev Diwali as the birth anniversary of Lord Karthik, the god of war, and the day when Lord Vishnu took the first incarnation of him as 'Matsya'.