what is dev diwali

Dev Diwali, also known as Dev Deepawali, is a festival celebrated in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Kartika and takes place fifteen days after Diwali. The festival is also known as the "Diwali of the Gods" and is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasura. It is believed that on this day, the gods descend to the Ganga ghats at Varanasi to bathe in the Ganges, and the ghats are lit with millions of earthen lamps to welcome them. The festival is marked by the lighting of oil lamps, decoration of houses, firecrackers, processions of decorated deities, and the floating of oil lamps on the river