Holy city Varanasi basked in dazzling yellow light today as the Uttar Pradesh government lit more than 22 lakh earthen lamps on the ghats to mark the occasion of Kartika Purnima, locally referred as ‘Dev Deepawali’. Other than lighting the ‘diyas’, a grand laser light show, which lasted for almost 30 minutes, made the occasion all the more memorable for hundreds and thousands of people who thronged the ghats to capture the glimpse.
Kaushal Raj Sharma, divisional commissioner, Varanasi, said, “On the occasion (of Dev Deepawali), ambassadors of 70 countries and 150 foreign delegates witnessed the Dev Deepawali celebrations from the cruise.”
A local, Kushagra Jha, who hails from Chauka Ghat area of Varanasi, and had come to witness Dev Deepawali, said, “No city other than Varanasi celebrates Dev Deepawali in such a grand way. The view of ghats, brightly lit with earthen lamps, is hard to express in words.”
Though the Dev Deepawali celebrations picked up at around 6 pm, people, not only from Varanasi but from the neighbouring districts began pouring in around 2 pm onwards to acquire the suitable place to capture the glimpse of the illuminated ghats. Not only the ghats but the earthen lamps were also lit on the sand across the river Ganges.
In addition, the grand laser light and sound shows were organised, which also infused life in the celebrations. It was followed by the grand fireworks, which almost covered the sky in different colours.
Officials said not only the ghats but also Kashi Vishwanath Temple was decked up for the occasion. “Around 11 tonnes of flowers were used for the decoration of the temple,” an administrative official said.
The UP government also made elaborate security arrangements for the celebration of Dev Deepawali. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath was also present at the event.
Drone flights were restricted, and surveillance was intensified on the district borders. Also, the watchtowers have been established to keep an eye on the ghats. Given the large number of tourists, hospital beds have been reserved, and medical teams were put on alert, the official said.
In addition, floating dividers were placed on the Ganges. Boatmen were instructed to accommodate designated tourists and to ensure that they wear life jackets. Eight NDRF teams, equipped with rescue tools, were also deployed at various ghats to keep a check on the occurrences of any untoward incident, the official further said.
Nearly 21 ‘archakas’ (priests) and 51 Dev Kanyas performed the ‘Maha Aarti’ at Dashashwamedh Ghat, which symbolises the message of women power.
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