Dev Deepawali Varanasi 2026

Dev Deepawali 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026, the night of Kartik Purnima — the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik. Lamp lighting begins around 5:15–5:30 PM and the grand Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat starts around 6:00 PM. The date moves every year with the lunar calendar, so always check the year you are travelling.

As early as you can, and certainly several weeks out. Boats for this night are the most oversubscribed booking in the Varanasi year — private boats go first, then shared seats near Dashashwamedh. Hotels near the ghats also raise rates and fill up. If you are planning around a flight into Varanasi (VNS), book the boat before you book the room.

They are two separate festivals about fifteen days apart. Diwali is the nationwide festival of lights celebrated in homes with lamps and fireworks. Dev Deepawali — the Diwali of the Gods — happens only fifteen days later on Kartik Purnima, and in Varanasi it is a public riverfront event where all eighty-four ghats are lit with earthen lamps. Many visitors plan a trip that takes in both.

Yes. Dev Deepawali is a public celebration and international visitors are welcome and common. No permit or special ticket is required to watch from the river or the ghats. You will need a valid Indian visa (most travellers use the e-Visa, applied for online before departure) — that is a normal tourist requirement, not specific to the festival.

Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered; this matters more at temples than on a boat, but the ghats are an active religious space all evening. Wear shoes you can slip off easily and do not mind getting dusty. Remove footwear before entering any temple. Do not photograph cremations at Manikarnika or Harishchandra ghats at any time — this is the one rule visitors most often break and it causes real offence. Ask before photographing individuals, and November evenings on the water are cold, so bring a layer.

A shared seat is the economical option and works well for one or two people who mainly want to see the lit ghats and the Aarti. A private boat makes sense for families, groups, anyone travelling with elderly parents or young children, and anyone serious about photography — you control where the boat sits and how long it holds position. For groups above about ten, a private boat is usually both better and comparable in cost per head.

Roads within roughly two kilometres of the riverfront close to vehicles on the evening of Dev Deepawali. Your driver drops you at the nearest open point, which normally means a short walk to the boarding ghat, and you agree a fixed pickup location and time for afterwards before you get out. This is the part of the night that goes wrong most often for independent travellers, and it is the main reason to have a driver rather than hail transport on the day.

For up to four people a sedan or Innova is fine. Families of six to eleven usually take a 12-seater tempo traveller; twelve to seventeen take a 17-seater; larger groups take 20 or 26-seater tempo travellers, and pilgrimage groups over thirty take a 40 or 49-seater bus. Every vehicle is air-conditioned with a driver. We quote per kilometre with fuel, driver allowance and parking included so the number you are given is the number you pay.