Dev Deepawali 2026 Varanasi: 11 lakh lamps on November 24, Ganga Mahotsav first

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, reviewed preparations in Varanasi for the Ganga Mahotsav, to be held from Friday, 20 November to Monday, 23 November, and for Dev Deepawali on Tuesday, 24 November. He directed officials to run a special cleanliness drive across the city from 20 to 25 November and to work with taxi operators, hotels and restaurants so that visitors are charged reasonable prices. More than 11 lakh earthen lamps are planned for the ghats, the Ganga's sandy banks and over 100 ponds, according to the plans reviewed.

Dev Deepawali, the "Diwali of the gods", is celebrated in Varanasi on Kartik Purnima, the full moon of the month of Kartik. According to tradition, the gods descend to bathe in the Ganga on this night, and the city lights its riverfront in their honour. For travellers, it is one of the most striking sights in India: the long curve of ghats along the river lit with lamps, best seen from a boat on the Ganga.

That popularity is also the challenge. The night is one of the busiest of the year in Varanasi, with heavy demand for boats, taxis and rooms. The Chief Minister's instruction to coordinate with taxi operators, hotels and restaurants on reasonable prices is aimed at protecting visitors from overcharging, though it is a direction to officials rather than a fixed price list.

This year the timing creates a five-evening run of events: four nights of the Ganga Mahotsav at Namo Ghat followed by Dev Deepawali itself. The same day is also Guru Nanak Jayanti, so the city will host Sikh devotees at its gurdwaras alongside crowds on the ghats. The decision to spread lamps to Sarnath, rural areas and ponds across the city should also spread the crowds beyond the main ghats.

What travellers should know: plan to arrive before 20 November for the full festival, book boats and rooms early, and expect heavy crowds at Dashashwamedh and Assi ghats on the evening of 24 November. The exact lamp-lighting and aarti timings should be checked closer to the date, as published guides give different times.

Peepals calculation: The Ganga Mahotsav (20 to 23 November) and Dev Deepawali (24 November) make five consecutive festival evenings in Varanasi (4 + 1 = 5). The cleanliness drive runs six days, from 20 to 25 November, covering every festival day plus the morning after Dev Deepawali. Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Visitors to Varanasi from 20 to 24 November will find a run of cultural evenings, extended lighting across the city and stepped-up cleaning, along with large crowds and heavy demand for rooms and boats.

Long-term: Spreading the festival to Sarnath, rural areas and ponds, and pressing for fair prices, are steps towards handling the festival's growing crowds and keeping it welcoming for visitors.

Who is affected: Tourists and pilgrims, boat operators, hotels and restaurants, taxi drivers, residents along the ghats, and Sikh devotees marking Guru Nanak Jayanti on the same day.

What to watch next: The Ganga Mahotsav opens at Namo Ghat on Friday, 20 November, and Dev Deepawali is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026.

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