Varanasi: On the auspicious occasion of Dev Diwali, the continuous series of lamps at the ghats of Kashi attracted the entire world. As soon as Lord Sun set on the horizon, Kashi, the city of Baba Vishweshwar, the Lord of the entire world, was bathed in the light of the lamps. The series of lamps on the banks of the Uttarvahini Ganga presented a unique supernatural scene. The first Dev Diwali lamp was lit at Namo Ghat with the torches of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. During this time, grand fireworks were also held at Namo Ghat.
Kashi, a religious city illuminated with the light of faith…
May Baba Shri Vishwanath and Mother Ganga bless everyone. pic.twitter.com/mrOT9edusA
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 15, 2024
Welcome guests on Ganga Aarti and cruise.
After this, the Vice President, Governor, Chief Minister and other guests boarded the cruise ship and witnessed the Maha Aarti of Mother Ganga. During this time, while sailing, tourists also jumped for joy after meeting their CM Yogi and other dignitaries and welcomed them with slogans of Har Har Mahadev and Jai Shri Ram. All the dignitaries on board the cruise ship, including the Vice President and the Chief Minister, accepted the greetings of the tourists by waving and crossing hands. At Chet Singh Ghat, the grand stage of 3D mapping projection, laser show and fireworks in the sand across the Ganges mesmerized everyone present. At all the ghats, the great Maha Aartiyas were seen welcoming the gods in the land of Kashi with the sound of conch shells, bells and gongs.
CM Yogi’s motto decorated with 51 thousand lamps, ‘If you divide, you will be divided’
This time Dev Diwali in Kashi was full of amazing sights. The lighting of hundreds of thousands of lamps on the Ganga ghats presented a unique confluence of faith and devotion, while Pandey Ghat became the center of special attraction, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s famous motto, ‘Batoge to Katoge’ , was recorded with 51 thousand lamps. These lamps lit at Pandey Ghat attracted people’s attention and became a topic of discussion. People praised the Chief Minister’s message through this art, while devotees gathered at the ghats captured this incredible scene on cameras and shared their experiences.
Along with religion, the message of nationalism was also conveyed in the Maha Aarti organized at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Tributes were paid to the brave soldiers at the replica of Amar Jawan Jyoti. This year Maha Aarti was dedicated to the martyrs of the Kargil war and the brave warriors were honored under ‘Bhagirath Shaurya Samman’. 21 Archakas and 42 Dev girls performed Maha Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat in the form of Riddhi Siddhi. Dev Diwali’s Maha Aarti from Dashashwamedh Ghat was telecast live on LED screens installed at six important locations in the city.
3D show and green fireworks became the center of attraction
This time a 3D mapping projection show was organized for the tourists at Chet Singh Ghat in Kashi, in which the religious history of Kashi and the story of the descent of the Ganges were presented. The green crackers displayed on the sand across the Ganges in front of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham won the hearts of the people. The ghats and temples were decorated with attractive electric ornaments and tricolor spiral ruffles.
The lamp-lit ghats and ponds of Kashi
This year, 17 lakh lamps were lit on Dev Diwali, of which 12 lakh lamps were contributed by the Yogi government and 3 lakh lamps were made from cow dung. Due to public participation in the unbroken chain of lamps, a total of more than 21 lakh lamps welcomed the deities. The ghats, ponds, ponds and temples of Kashi and the continuous chain of lamps across the Ganges spread a galactic hue. Thousands of lamps were also lit on the banks of river Ganga-Gomti, Markandeya Mahadev and Varuna. On Dev Diwali, all Kashi temples, ghat facade lights and roadside electric poles were also decorated with attractive tricolor spiral stripes.
On the occasion of Dev Diwali, a special worship was held at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Dham premises were decorated with flowers. The light from the lamps in Baba’s courtyard made this place even more divine.
Varanasi was declared a no-fly zone on the occasion of Dev Diwali. From a security point of view, strict vigil was maintained at the ghats, the use of drones was banned and plainclothes policewomen and anti-Romeo squads were deployed. The lanes were determined according to the instructions for the operation of ships on the Ganges and strict safety instructions were given to the sailors. NDRF and water police were deployed with water ambulances and medical equipment. Earlier, a plan was prepared for complete preparation regarding security, traffic system, parking, emergency management, QRT equipment, entry and exit of ghats, rivers and roads.
Kashi’s Dev Deepawali also spread on social media
Dev Diwali, celebrated on Friday in Varanasi, continued to trend on social media platform X. The celebration managed to attract global attention as users shared their experiences through the hashtag #DevDeepawali2024. Under the Modi-Yogi government, Kashi’s Dev Diwali has gone from local to global. More than 17 lakh lamps were lit at 84 ghats of Varanasi and huge fireworks lit up the night, which people shared widely on social media.
This year, on Dev Diwali, the grandeur of Kashi attracted not only tourists from the country but also tourists from abroad. The confluence of tradition and modernity made this party unforgettable. The city of Shiva, Kashi, has once again proven that such a confluence of religion, culture and nationality cannot be seen anywhere else.
