- Dev Deepawali (Varanasi)
The Dev Deepavali (“the Diwali of the Gods” or “Festival of Lights of the Gods”) is the festival of Kartik Poornima celebrated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It falls on the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartika (November – December) and takes place fifteen days after Diwali. The steps of all the ghats on the riverfront of the Ganges River, from Ravidas Ghat at the southern end to Rajghat, are lit with more than a million earthen lamps (diyas) in honour of Ganga, the Ganges, and its presiding goddess. The gods are believed to descend to Earth to bathe in the Ganges on this day. The festival is also observed as Tripura Purnima Snan. The tradition of lighting the lamps on the Dev Deepawali festival day was first started at the Panchganga Ghat in 1985. During Dev Deepawali, houses are decorated with oil lamps and coloured designs on their front doors. Firecrackers are burnt at night, processions of decorated deities are taken out into the streets of Varanasi, and oil lamps are set afloat on the river. - Golden Temple Diwali (Amritsar)
Sikhs and Hindus in celebrating one of India’s grandest festivals, Diwali – the Festival of Lights at the Golden Temple. It truly is an ineffable experience, one you will not want to miss. You’ll get inspired to add this to your itinerary after being at the Golden Temple. The festival of lights lived true to its name at the Golden Temple as approx tens of thousands of Sikhs gathered in and around the temple complex for one of India’s largest celebrations. The entire complex had been draped in lights and it was quite a sight to behold when the lights came on. The main fireworks display launched from the temple complex itself but all around the temple enthusiastic Sikhs set off endless rounds of deafening crackers. - Narka Chaturdashi (Goa)
Naraka Chaturdashi (also known as Kali Chaudas, Roop Chaudas, Choti Diwali or Naraka Nivaran Chaturdashi) is a Hindu festival, which falls on Chaturdashi (14th day) of the Krishna Paksha in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Ashwin. It is the second day of the five-day-long festival of Diwali. The Hindu literature narrates that the asura (demon) Narakasura was killed on this day by Krishna, Satyabhama and Kali. The day is celebrated by early morning religious rituals and festivities followed on. - Fireworks at Queen’s Necklace (Mumbai)
The city of dreams will not let you down and if you still haven’t ventured out during diwali then you are missing something in life. The magnificent fire works seen at Juhu Chowpatty to the spectacular reflection of the fire crackers and lights in the water at Marine Drive, will leave you mesmerized and you would want to behold the beauty of these amazing moments for sure. Marine Drive is unarguably the best place in Mumbai to enjoy diwali. The Queens Necklace is visited by thousands of people during diwali just to watch the amazing fireworks. This long stretch transforms into a street party destinations with bangs and explosions every now and then. The fireworks and lights make the place lively and the view is mesmerizing with amazingly lighted skyline.
- Badabadua Daka (Orissa)
The people of Odisha pay obeisance to their ancestors through the – unique ritual known as “Bada Badua Daka”. which is performed on the day of Deepawali or Dilwali. Lord Jagannath witnesses a grand gathering on the day of Deepavali celebration.Holding bunches of burning jute-stems in hand, thousands of devotees invoked their ancestors for peace and harmony in their families. As per the tradition, elder sons of the late fathers perform this popular Badabadua Dakaritual. The ritual aims at invoking the demigods to descend from the spiritual sky and bless their successors on earth. The invocation process began with the chanting of a famous Oriya adage: Badabadua ho andhaare aasa, aalua re jaa (Oh forefathers, come in darkness and go back in the light). The oldest member of a family, accompanied by other family members, chanted those lines, lighted the bundle of jute-stems and pointed the flames skywards. A thick smoke covered the temple area following the mass gathering and burning of jute-stems by devotees.
- Diwali (Jaipur)
The Festival of Light – Diwali is celebrated in India with incredible zeal and excitement that is a lot more than any other Indian festival. Jaipur is famous for praising Diwali celebration. Men and ladies, children and old, rich and poor, everyone celebrates this beautiful festival in India. Jaipur during Diwali’s Celebration is decorated in a manner which makes Jaipur special for residents and tourists with extraordinary eagerness and old stories. Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is a very royal city and Diwali puts more shade to its culture and royalty. Visitors and tourists are present in bulk quantity to advocate in person the magic of Diwali celebration. - Kali Puja (Kolkata)
Kali Puja also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month Kartik especially in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Bangladesh. It coincides with the pan-Indian Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali. The festival of Kali Puja is not an ancient one. Kali Puja was practically unknown before the 18th century; however, a late 17th-century devotional text Kalika mangalkavya –by Balram mentions an annual festival dedicated to Kali. It was introduced in Bengal during the 18th century, by King (Raja) Krishnachandra of Navadvipa. Kali Puja gained popularity in the 19th century, with Krishanachandra’s grandson Ishvarchandra and the Bengali elite; wealthy landowners began patronizing the festival on a grand scale. Along with Durga Puja, Kali Puja is the biggest festival in Bengal and Assam. - Bonfire & Rustic Diwali (Purushwadi)
A tribal village in the interiors of Maharashtra, Purushwadi is only 220 km away from Mumbai and has its own unique way of celebrating Diwali. These days, the village also attracts tourists from the city to witness the festival of Diwali. The village is also known for its fireflies but these live only for two months of the year and unfortunately are not around during Diwali season. The villagers build a bonfire and children go from house to house singing traditional songs. The women make colorful rangolis outside their homes. In the evening, everyone gathers around the bonfire and they cook a simple meal over it and enjoy amongst themselves. If you want a quietier, rustic Diwali, visit Purushwadi with Gozo Outstation.
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