Dev Deepawali (Dev Diwali) 2026 in Varanasi: date, ghats, boats and the complete guideDev Deepawali (Dev Diwali) 2026 in Varanasi: date, ghats, boats and the complete guideवाराणसी में देव दीपावली 2026: तिथि 24 नवंबर, घाट, नाव और पूरी जानकारी

Dev Deepawali is celebrated on Kartik Purnima. For Varanasi, Drik Panchang lists it on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. The Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM on 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM on 24 November, so the evening lamp offering (deepdan) in pradosh kaal, 5:08 PM to 7:47 PM, falls fully on the 24th. This year the date observed on the ghats and the calendar date are the same.

The Uttar Pradesh government's 2026 holiday list marks Kartik Purnima, together with Guru Nanak Jayanti, on 24 November, and the Varanasi divisional administration named the same date at its preparatory meeting in August 2026. Morning Kartik Purnima bathing in the Ganga happens on the same day, so the ghats are busy from dawn.

At dusk, residents, ghat committees and volunteers light earthen lamps along the steps from the southern ghats up to Rajghat, and on the far bank as well. Official and press figures vary from year to year: in 2024 All India Radio reported about 11 lakh lamps across 84 ghats and more than 17 lakh across the city, and for 2025 the state government planned 11 lakh lamps on the ghats while press estimates for both banks ran higher.

At Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Ganga Seva Nidhi performs the Dev Deepawali maha aarti. In 2025 it ran from about 5:15 PM to 7:50 PM, with 21 priests and 42 young women. Before the aarti, an Amar Jawan Jyoti replica is lit on the ghat. Personnel from the armed forces, police and NCC lay wreaths in memory of soldiers who died on duty, and the Bhagirath Shaurya Samman is presented. The aarti is also streamed live on the Nidhi's YouTube channel.

In recent years UP Tourism has also put on a laser and projection show on the facade of Chet Singh Ghat about Kashi's history and saints. In 2024 it ran at 5:30, 7:00, 8:00 and 8:45 PM, and in 2025 there were three 25-minute shows. There is also a green fireworks display on the sands facing the Kashi Vishwanath Dham ghat, which ran for about 10 minutes in 2025. The 2026 programme has not yet been announced.

The whole crescent is lit, so there is no single place to stand. These are the places each known for something different:

• Dashashwamedh and Rajendra Prasad Ghats: the maha aarti and the Amar Jawan Jyoti tribute. They are also the most crowded, so arrive by early afternoon if you want a spot on the steps.
• Chet Singh Ghat: the laser and projection show. The ghat is best viewed from a boat or from the neighbouring ghats.
• Kashi Vishwanath Dham Ghat: the green fireworks go up on the far bank opposite this ghat.
• Panchganga Ghat: the stone Hazara Deepstambh, associated with Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, is lit with more than a thousand lamps on this night.
• Assi Ghat: the southern end of the lit riverfront. Many people start the walk north from here.
• Rajghat and Namo Ghat: the northern end. The Ganga Mahotsav stage was at Rajghat in 2025, and it is proposed there again for 2026. Namo Ghat's wide, step-free promenade suits families.

From the river you see the whole lit riverfront at once, and demand is heavy. On normal days, Varanasi Municipal Corporation fixed a fare of ₹345 per person for the Assi–Namo Ghat round trip in January 2025, and rate boards are put up at major ghats. We found no officially notified fare for Dev Deepawali night itself. In 2024, ETV Bharat reported shared seats at about ₹200–500 per person, whole small or medium boats at ₹10,000–50,000 and large boats up to about ₹2 lakh, with most of the roughly 900 registered boats already booked before the day. These are reported prices, not official rates, and may change for 2026.

Book weeks ahead through your hotel or a registered boatman at the ghat. Before you pay, agree in writing on the boat type, whether it is shared or private, the boarding ghat, the start and end times and the route. A shared boat costs less but moves with the group. A private boat lets you choose where to stop, within the routes the police allow.

• Life jackets: in 2024 the administration ordered that no one boards without a life jacket. Put yours on before the boat leaves.
• Capacity: boats may carry only as many passengers as their municipal licence allows, and the capacity must be written on the boat. Do not board an overloaded boat.
• Routes: boats must stay on the designated routes. Boatmen must carry identification and must not be intoxicated.
• Security on the river in 2024: the river was divided into nine sectors, with 444 personnel on 68 motorboats, NDRF water ambulances and a diving team.

In 2025, Varanasi traffic police made the Godowlia–Maidagin stretch a no-vehicle zone and closed about a dozen routes to vehicles, including Sujabad towards Rajghat bridge. They set up 22 parking areas, such as Maidagin Town Hall and Beniabagh, and kept goods vehicles out of the city from 5 AM. E-rickshaws and autos ran on six fixed routes each. Expect a similar plan for 2026, and check the Varanasi Police announcements a day or two before.

The lanes and steps down to the ghats get very crowded, and the last stretch is on foot. Reach your spot by mid-afternoon, and agree with your group on a meeting point, such as a named ghat or temple, in case you get separated.

• Emergency: dial 112 for police. The Kashi Integrated Command and Control Centre helpline is 1533.
• Children: put a card in their pocket with your phone number and hotel name, and keep hold of their hands on the steps.
• Elderly visitors and anyone with limited mobility: the wide promenade at Namo Ghat, or watching from a hotel terrace or a boat, avoids the steep, crowded steps.
• Carry little cash, keep phones zipped away, and do not walk the wet lower steps close to the water in the dark.

Rooms close to the ghats fill up early for Dev Deepawali. In 2024, ETV Bharat reported that late bookers were finding rooms mostly 8–9 km out, near the highways. If you are coming for the night, book as soon as your dates are fixed. A guest house in the lanes between Assi and Dashashwamedh saves the long walk back. A hotel near Cantt station or on the ring road is easier to reach by road, but plan to come in by e-rickshaw and finish on foot.

Because the ghat zone is closed to cars, a taxi can only take you to the edge of the no-vehicle zone. After the lamps, crowds leave all at once, so expect slow movement until late at night. Many visitors wait an hour on the ghats before heading back. The 2-day itinerary on this site fits the festival well: spend the first evening on the river and the next morning at the temples.

Dev Deepawali is a religious observance first. Do not step over or move lamps, keep aisles on the steps clear, and do not use flash in people's faces during the aarti. Ask before photographing individuals at worship. Cremations continue at Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats on this night as on every other. Do not photograph or film them, and keep your voice low if your boat passes.

The Ganga Mahotsav, a cultural festival of music and dance organised with UP Tourism, is held in the days just before Dev Deepawali. In 2025 it ran from 1 to 4 November at Rajghat. For 2026, local reports of the August preparatory meeting chaired by the divisional commissioner mention 20–23 November at Rajghat, with events at Namo Ghat too. These dates are proposed and have not yet been officially announced by UP Tourism. Guru Nanak Jayanti also falls on 24 November this year, and the city's gurudwaras hold their own celebrations.