Dev Deepawali 2026

Dev Deepawali — the Diwali of the Gods — is celebrated on Kartik Purnima, the full moon that concludes the sacred month of Kartik. According to tradition, on this night the gods descend to the ghats of Varanasi to celebrate their own Diwali, and the city illuminates every ghat along the Ganga with hundreds of thousands of earthen lamps. The spectacle on the Varanasi ghats is unparalleled in India.

Kartik Purnima carries layered significance. It is the day Shiva killed the demon Tripurasura (hence the name Tripurari Purnima), the day Vishnu is believed to awaken from his four-month cosmic sleep (in some traditions), and the traditional day for the last sacred bath of the Kartik snan period. Devotees who have observed the month-long Kartik Vrata — bathing daily before dawn and lighting a lamp — complete their vow on this day.

The panchang prescribes that the Purnima tithi should prevail during the evening for the deep daan (lamp offering). Thousands of floating lamps (deep daan) are released on the Ganga, creating rivers of light. A grand Ganga Aarti is performed at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi, amplified on this day to a scale far exceeding the daily ceremony.

Dev Deepawali also coincides with Guru Nanak Jayanti in many years, adding Sikh celebrations to the already multi-layered observance. For those consulting the panchang, Kartik Purnima is considered one of the most auspicious days for charity, fasting, and holy bathing, second only to Vaishakh Purnima among the Purnima tithis.