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Which festival, celebrated in Varanasi 15 days after Diwali, is marked by lakhs of lamps lit on the ghats of the Ganga?
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Answer: Option A — Dev Deepawali
Detailed Solution
Dev Deepawali, meaning "the Diwali of the gods", is celebrated in Varanasi on Kartika Purnima, the full moon day of the month of Kartika, which falls about 15 days after Diwali, in November.
On Dev Deepawali, the ghats of the river Ganga in Varanasi, from the Ravidas Ghat at one end to the Raj Ghat at the other, are lit with lakhs of earthen lamps (diyas). The whole riverfront glows with light, and the reflections of the lamps in the river create a magnificent sight. According to belief, the gods come down to the earth on this day to bathe in the Ganga and celebrate, which is why it is called the Diwali of the gods. The festival is also linked with the legend of Lord Shiva's victory over the demon Tripurasura, and the day is also called Tripurari Purnima.
The celebrations include a holy dip in the Ganga at dawn (Kartik Snan), the lighting of lamps at dusk, a grand Ganga Aarti performed by priests at the Dashashwamedh Ghat, cultural programmes, fireworks, and boat rides on the river to see the illuminated ghats. Lakhs of visitors come to Varanasi for the festival. The Ganga Mahotsav, a five-day cultural festival organised by Uttar Pradesh Tourism, ends on Dev Deepawali. Dev Deepawali is also a tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation, and lamps are lit in their memory.
Kartika Purnima is an important day in other traditions too. Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab), Jains celebrate it as an auspicious day for pilgrimage to Palitana, Odisha celebrates the Boita Bandana and Bali Jatra, and the Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan reaches its peak on this day.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Ganga Dussehra celebrates the descent of the Ganga, in Jyeshtha.
- ✗Bhai Dooj is the last day of Diwali, a festival of brothers and sisters.
- ✗Kali Puja is held on the night of Diwali in West Bengal.
Quick tip
Remember: Dev Deepawali = Varanasi, Kartika Purnima (15 days after Diwali), the lighting of lamps on the ghats and Shiva's victory over Tripurasura.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.