Feature by Paridhi Agarwal
Dev Deepavali, also known as Dev Diwali, and Tripura Utsav, is the Diwali of Gods. It is said that the Gods wake up from their cosmic slumber on the poornima (full moon night) of the Kartika month, and celebrate Diwali then.
It is celebrated with great enthusiasm – especially in Varanasi. This year, it was celebrated on 27th November.
Why is it celebrated?
According to Hindu scripture, the festival is celebrated to remember the victory of Lord Shiva over three demons called Vidyunmali, Tarakaksha, and Viryavana, who are also known as Tripurasura. They built a capital which had three different layers and it rivalled the best cities of the world. On this day, Lord Shiva won over Tripuri – the tricity.
Tripuri Purnima and the birth anniversary of Lord Kathik, God of war, is also celebrated on this day. Other than its religious significance, Dev Diwali also celebrates the Indian Armed Forces soldiers who gave their lives for the country.
According to Indian mythology, on the day of Dev Deepavali, Gods and Goddesses come to take a bath in the holy river of Ganga.
How is it celebrated?
It is celebrated in Varanasi every year with great enthusiasm. To pay respects to the gods and goddesses, the ghats in Varanasi are decorated and lit with diyas. People also decorate with diyas and rangolis to celebrate Lord Shiva’s triumph. The Ganga Aarti performed on the ghats on this day is a major attraction – it is performed with 24 priests and 24 young girls. Fireworks are shot into the sky and people dance and sing throughout the night.
150 delegates from 70 countries all around the world had also come to Varanasi to watch the festival in its full glory.
The ghats were illuminated with more than 12 lakh diyas! 11 lakh of which were earthen lamps and 1 lakh were made from cow dung.
Image credits: Tweeted by official account of Narendra Modi.
