Dev Deepawali 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November, the Kartik Purnima night that follows Chhath Puja. Varanasi’s 84 ghats along the Ganga are lined with lakhs of earthen diyas, and the Dashashwamedh Ghat aarti draws especially large crowds. Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) serves the city. Because this is Varanasi’s busiest tourism weekend of the year, book your flights and any boat ride well ahead, since seats and hotel rooms fill up quickly.
Updated September 2026 · HappyFares
Dev Deepawali turns Varanasi’s riverfront into a wall of lamplight for one night a year. If you are planning to be there, here is the date, what to expect on the ghats, and how to think about flights.
When is Dev Deepawali 2026?
Dev Deepawali is observed on Kartik Purnima, the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik. For 2026, multiple panchang calculations place the Purnima tithi, and therefore Dev Deepawali, on Tuesday, 24 November. This falls about a week after Chhath Puja, which runs from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November 2026, so the two festivals sit close together on the calendar this year.
What happens on the ghats that night?
Dev Deepawali is best known for the diyas. Varanasi’s ghats, all 84 of them stretching along the Ganga, are lined with lakhs of small earthen lamps, lit in the evening as an offering said to welcome the gods down to bathe in the river. The Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, already a nightly draw in Varanasi, becomes a larger, more elaborate ceremony on this evening, and many visitors watch it from the ghat steps or from a boat out on the water.
Should you watch from a boat or from the ghats?
Both are popular, and both get crowded. Watching from the steps means you are on solid ground but packed in among a large crowd, especially near Dashashwamedh Ghat where roads and approaches are typically restricted for the evening. A boat ride gives you a view of the lit-up ghats from the river and a closer look at the aarti, and many visitors consider it the more comfortable option on the busiest night of the year, though boats fill up well in advance, so this is not something to leave until you land.
If you would rather avoid the densest crowds, ghats further from Dashashwamedh tend to be quieter while still lit up for the occasion.
Getting to Varanasi by air
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) is Varanasi’s airport, connected to major Indian cities with a good spread of domestic flights, plus a smaller set of international routes. The airport sits a reasonable drive from the ghats, so factor in road time and likely traffic on the day itself, since Dev Deepawali brings a significant spike in visitor numbers to the city.
When to book
Dev Deepawali is one of Varanasi’s busiest weekends of the year, and demand for both flights and hotel rooms rises well ahead of the date. Boat operators for the evening itself also tend to fill their schedules weeks in advance. If Dev Deepawali is on your calendar, it is worth locking in your flight and stay sooner rather than closer to the date, particularly if you want a specific arrival time or a boat slot for the evening.
If you are combining it with Chhath
Because Chhath Puja, 13 to 16 November 2026, falls only about a week before Dev Deepawali this year, some travellers choose to combine both trips rather than fly back and forth. If that is your plan, keep in mind that hotel and boat availability tightens through this entire stretch, not just on the day of Dev Deepawali itself, so book your stay across the full window rather than assuming you can add extra nights later. Late November evenings by the Ganga also turn noticeably cool once the sun sets, so pack a light jacket if you are planning to be out on the ghats or on the water after dark.
Common Questions
Is Dev Deepawali the same as Diwali?
No. Diwali falls on Amavasya, the new moon, earlier in the same lunar month. Dev Deepawali is a separate, Varanasi-specific festival held fifteen days later, on Kartik Purnima, the following full moon.
What is the exact date of Dev Deepawali 2026?
Tuesday, 24 November 2026, based on the Kartik Purnima tithi as calculated by current panchang sources.
Do I need to book a boat in advance, or can I find one on the day?
Booking ahead is strongly recommended. Boats for Dev Deepawali evening are in high demand and operators’ schedules tend to fill up in the weeks before the festival.
How far is the airport from the main ghats?
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport is a drive of a well under an hour from the ghats in normal traffic, though allow more time on the day of the festival itself given the crowds converging on the city.
Are there quieter ghats to watch from if I want to avoid crowds?
Yes. Ghats further away from Dashashwamedh tend to be less densely packed while still being lit up for the occasion, and some boat routes specifically avoid the busiest stretch.
Is Varanasi very crowded during Dev Deepawali?
Yes, it is one of the city’s busiest tourism periods of the year, with roads near the main ghats typically restricted for the evening, so plan extra time for local travel.
Planning to watch Dev Deepawali on the ghats? Search and compare flights to Varanasi on HappyFares, with zero convenience fee on domestic bookings and price alerts if you would rather wait for a better fare.
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and can be confirmed closer to the date by your local panchang. Verify current specifics with the airport, your airline, or local authorities before you travel.
