Diwali of the gods on Kartika Purnima; Varanasi's ghats glow with over a million lamps

Dev Deepawali, 'the Diwali of the gods', is celebrated on Kartika Purnima, fifteen days after Diwali, most spectacularly in Varanasi. It celebrates Lord Shiva's destruction of the three flying cities of the asura Tripurasura with a single arrow, which is why this full moon is also called Tripuri or Tripurari Purnima. Rejoicing at the victory, the gods are believed to descend to Kashi on this night to bathe in the Ganga and light lamps. In the evening, the city lights more than a million earthen lamps along its 84 ghats, from Ravidas Ghat to Raj Ghat, and on the steps of temples and palaces, creating one of the most beautiful sights in India. A grand Ganga Aarti is performed at Dashashwamedh Ghat by many priests, and boats carry visitors along the river. Wreaths are laid and lamps lit in honour of soldiers who died for the nation. Devotees bathe in the Ganga at dawn (Kartika snan), worship Shiva and Vishnu, and give lamps in charity (deepdaan). The celebration was revived in the 1980s at Panchganga Ghat and has since become a world-famous festival.

Many fast on Kartika Purnima and eat after the evening deepdaan.