Quick answer
Dev Deepawali is the Kartik Purnima evening when Varanasi lights lakhs of diyas along its ghats. Kartik Purnima falls on 24 November 2026, but confirm the exact evening locally. Watch from a boat on the Ganga from about 5 pm, book boats and ghat-side rooms two to three months ahead, and expect rates to triple.
Highlights
- Lakhs of diyas lit along the ghats from Assi to Raj Ghat at dusk
- An extended Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
- The view of the lit riverfront from a boat on the Ganga
- Laser shows and fireworks over the river in recent years
- Sarnath and the old-city lanes in the days around it
What happens on Dev Deepawali
Tradition says the gods come down to bathe in the Ganga on Kartik Purnima, and Varanasi lights the ghats for them. From around sunset, residents, volunteers and temple committees light earthen diyas along the steps from Assi to Raj Ghat, and the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh is performed on a larger scale, with more priests and a huge crowd. In recent years the state has added laser shows and fireworks over the river.
Which evening, and what time
Kartik Purnima falls on 24 November 2026. When the full-moon tithi begins the previous evening, Varanasi sometimes holds Dev Deepawali a day earlier, so confirm the date with your hotel or boat operator before booking trains. Be at the ghats or on the water by 4:30 pm; the lamps go up around 5:30 pm and the scene peaks over the next two hours. Arrive a day early: the Ganga Mahotsav music programme usually runs in the days before.
Boats, rooms and prices
A boat is the best seat. Expect ₹1,500–4,000 per person for a seat on a shared motorboat, and ₹8,000–20,000 for a private rowing boat that takes four to six people; large group bajras cost much more. Ghat-side guesthouses and heritage hotels that charge ₹3,000–6,000 normally ask ₹10,000–25,000 that night. Book both two to three months ahead. Hotels in Cantonment or Sigra are cheaper, but vehicles are stopped well short of the ghats in the evening, so allow for a long walk.
Crowds and safety
Lakhs of people pack the ghats and the lanes behind them. Hold children's hands, agree a meeting point and keep phones in a front pocket. Boats are often overloaded on this night; choose an operator with life jackets and do not board a boat that is visibly full. Older travellers are better off on a boat or a hotel terrace than on the steps.
Photography and what to wear
A boat gives you the classic wide view of the lit ghats; tripods are useless on moving water, so rely on a fast lens or your phone's night mode. Do not photograph cremations at Manikarnika or Harishchandra ghats. Late-November evenings on the river are 14–16°C, so carry a shawl or light jacket, dress modestly and wear shoes you can slip off.
Combining it
Sarnath is 10 km away, and Prayagraj and Bodh Gaya make easy add-ons. See things to do in Varanasi, where to stay, the best time to visit Varanasi and our November ideas.
Frequently asked questions
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How we checked this page
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Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
