Varanasi was all lit up on the occasion of Dev Deepavali earlier this week

Text and Photos: Prerna Katiyar

Saat vaar, gyarah tyohaar (seven days, 11 festivals) is a popular saying in the city considered older than the oldest, alluding that the number of festivals the city observes in a week outnumber the number of days. Small wonder then that Banaras or Varanasi was abuzz with the festival of lights once again on Dev Deepavali — or the Diwali of the Gods — that was celebrated on November 25. The day is observed 15 days after Diwali on the day of Kartik Purnima, when the moon is in full view and is marked as a victory of the Gods over evil.

All the 84 ghats by the river Ganga were lit up with tiny earthen lamps, or diyas, and floral rangolis in the evening, bejewelling the steps from Varuna to Assi Ghat as a welcome to the Gods. Devotees and tourists started thronging the ghats from early morning to take a dip, perform pooja on the banks, and to take a boat ride to savour the beauty of the Ganga ghats.

Nearly 1.5 lakh pilgrims from across the world visited the ghats to watch the riverfront aglitter. Devotees also set afloat diyas in the river and the combined beauty of the lamps on the ghats and the ones flowing in the river made one wonder if the stars had found their way down to earth.