Dev Deepawali 2025: Varanasi Glows Like Heaven — The Night When Gods Descend to the Ganga

Sonali Singh
Nov 1
4 min read

Ever wondered why Varanasi glows like heaven on Dev Deepawali night? Find out the Sanatangyan meaning behind it.

Dev Deepawali 2025, to be celebrated on November 5, is more than just a festival — it’s a spiritual awakening of Sanatangyan culture. On this sacred Kartik Purnima night, Varanasi turns into a divine spectacle: millions of diyas light up the ghats of holy Ganga, rejoicing in Lord Shiva's victory over the demon Tripurasura. It is believed that on this night, the Devas come to Earth to take a bath in the Ganga and witness this cosmic celebration of light, devotion, and liberation.

The Spiritual Essence of Dev Deepawali

While Diwali is about rejoicing over the homecoming of Lord Rama, Dev Deepawali belongs to the Devas, meaning the gods themselves. According to the Vedic Shashtra, on this day, celestial beings come to Earth to take a dip in the Ganga and witness the victory of Lord Shiva.

The Shiva Purana beautifully describes this divine event:

“त्रिपुरं हत्वा हरः देवो देवदेवो महेश्वरः।

कृपया त्रैलोक्यनाथः काश्यां दीपोत्सवं अकरोत्॥”

(After destroying Tripura, Lord Maheshwara — the Lord of all Gods — celebrated the festival of lights in Kashi out of compassion for the three worlds.)

Thus, this night is a celebration of the spirit and a pilgrimage of light. It is a pilgrimage to the soul that embodies the principle of all time and all wisdom that the inner illumination leads to liberation beyond.

Tithi, Muhurat, and Sacred Rituals

Purnima Tithi Begins: November 4, 2025, 10:36 PM
Purnima Tithi Ends: November 5, 2025, 6:48 PM
Dev Deepawali Muhurat (Pradosh Kaal): 5:15 PM – 7:50 PM

It is during Pradosh Kaal that the air reverberates with chants and conch shells and the rhythm of bells. Sadhus and gurus of Kashi, on both banks of the river, carry out the Ganga Aarti by offering thousands of brass lamps to the sacred river. The scene of these diyas floating away gives an impression that the stars have come down to fill the waters.

A verse from the Rigveda echoes the sanctity of light:

“तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय” — (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28)

“Lead me from darkness to light.”

This line captures the soul of Dev Deepawali: a journey from ignorance to wisdom and from tamas to jyoti.

Varanasi: Where Earth Meets Heaven

No city in the world celebrates the festival of Dev Deepawali with such fervor as Kashi does. For days before the festival, sadhus, gurus, and devotees clean the ghats, decorate them, and freshly paint them. Temples resonate with mantras and bells. The air carries the fragrance of incense, marigolds, and ghee lamps.

With dusk, the priests start Ganga Aarti. The priests, standing in complete harmony, lift brass lamps high and move them in circular rhythm to the chanting of “Om Namah Shivaya” and “Har Har Mahadev.” The reflection of the flames in the flowing Ganga creates an illusion-a river of fire meeting the stars above-a sight that every Sanatangyan seeker dreams to see at least once in life.

Rituals and Traditions

Dev Deepawali is rich in rituals that combine devotion, discipline, and spiritual depth:

Deep Daan: Devotees offer lamps to the Ganga, symbolizing surrender of ego and illumination of the spirit.

Kartik Snan: It is believed that having a holy dip in the Ganga on this full moon day washes off all karma and ultimately leads to moksha.

Pitru Tarpan: Flowers and prayers are brought to the ancestors by families, who believe that, through the divine light, the souls find peace.

Fasting and Prayer: Many people observe fasts and recite Vedic mantras for Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

The Padma Purana beautifully expresses the merit of this act:

“दीपदानं हि कर्तव्यं पवित्रं पापनाशनम्।

यः करोति निशामध्ये स याति परमं पदम्॥”

“Offering light during this sacred night purifies the soul and destroys all sins; the one who does so attains the supreme abode.”

Lighting the Inner Flame

As the Sanatangyan gurus explain, the true spirit of Dev Deepawali is not merely in lighting the outer lamps but in the awakening of the light within. That is a reminder to overcome one’s own inner Tripurasura-the demons of ego, anger, and ignorance.

"असतो मा सद्गमय" - (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28)

“Lead me from the unreal to the real.”

Each diya, therefore, is a symbol of conscious awakening, leading the soul from illusion to truth.

Celebrating Dev Deepawali at Home

Though one may not be in Varanasi, the divine essence of this festival can be experienced anywhere:

Light diyas at 5:15 PM, during Pradosh Kaal.
Offer prayers to Lord Shiva and the Ganga.
Remember ancestors and express gratitude.
Decorate your home with marigolds and rangoli.
Share light — through kindness, charity, or prayer.

Dev Deepawali 2025 is a celebration of lights. It marks the astonishing preparation of the soul for its awakening. The ghats of Kashi are adorned with innumerable diyas that remind one of the inner diya to be illuminated. The inner diya is of wisdom that divine light guides to with shastras. It leads us from darkness to the eternal truth.