Deva Dīpāvalī 2026

Dev Diwali (also called Karthika Deepotsavam) is the full moon (Purnima) of the lunar month Kartika, observed as the day the gods themselves are believed to descend to earth and celebrate their own festival of lights. Where Diwali marks the return of Sri Rama to Ayodhya, Dev Diwali is imagined as the devas' own Diwali: 'Diwali of the Gods'.

The festival is most famously celebrated on the ghats of Varanasi, where thousands of oil lamps (diyas) are lit along the banks of the Ganga, turning the riverfront into a shimmering field of light for the evening Ganga Aarti. The tradition is also linked to Tripurari Purnima, commemorating Lord Shiva's destruction of the demon Tripurasura.