Dev Deepawali 2025 in Banaras – When the Ghats of Ganga Turn Into a Heaven of Light

You can’t see that city with open eyes.To truly see it, you must close your outer eyes —and open the eyes of your soul. You must listen to the echoes of Vedic chants, and let the smoke of the cremation grounds dissolve into your breath —where life and death sit together on the same ghat, sipping tea as old friends. Where beyond the Vedas,there exists the gamchha (cloth), tilak, paan, and a roadside tea stall.

Welcome, brother — this is Banaras!

Banaras is always special —but this time, its glow carries the touch of Diwali.On the night of November 5th — when the full moon of Kartik leans over the Ganga, and the ghats glitter with a million lamps —each flame, each sparkle, each shimmer seems to welcome the gods themselves.They say that on this night, the deities descend to bathe in the Ganga, and the ghats of Banaras become their courtyards.

The beats of aarti echo somewhere,bells chime elsewhere,lamps sway gently on boats —and amidst it all, flows the Ganga —whose waves, tonight, are not just water, but the ocean of the heavens.

This year, Kashi will become a miniature India. Every ghat will bloom in its own color —the rhythm of Gujarati garba, the grace of Bengali ornaments,the devotion of Marathi aarti, and the melody of Maithili songs.

Every corner of Kashi will whisper —

“Look, brother… how beautiful India is —
so different, yet so deeply one.”

From Assi Ghat to Rajghat, every step, every lamp, every smile — is a fragment of India’s soul. This time, there will be no debate of language,no memory of North, South, East, or West. This time, not just Banaras —but the whole of India will shine upon the ghats. Slowly, the fragrance of mustard oil fills the air.The chill of the breeze mingles with the warmth of the flames. And above, the moon bends low —smiling at its reflection in the Ganga. Amidst thousands of sounds, a person hears the voice within. And then it feels —this isn’t just a festival — it’s the prayer of the soul.

So, come this Dev Deepawali,when millions of lamps glow along the Ganga, let us each light our own flame —in the name of someone we love,a dream we hold, or simply… for no reason at all. Because that’s the Banaras way.

Even the lamps here whisper —

“Ask for nothing, give nothing — just keep burning.”

This is Banaras’ Diwali —where even the gods pause for a moment, and say, “Ah… what divine light this is.”