Varanasi's riverfront festival of lamps on Kartik Purnima, when ghats, ceremony, and evening light draw documentary and travel photographers to the Ganga.
Festival dates
Season 2026
4-5 November 2026
Kartik Purnima timing; dates treated as estimated until confirmed for the season year.
Date confidence
Festival overview
Dev Deepawali marks Kartik Purnima along the Varanasi ghats, when earthen lamps line the riverfront and ceremony fills the steps from Assi to Dashashwamedh. For photographers, the strongest work comes from reading crowd flow, respecting ritual space, and planning positions for lamp light, silhouettes, and layered riverfront compositions rather than chasing a single spectacle frame.
Photo tours
Published photo tours linked to this festival through host itineraries and seasonal planning.
Hosted by Aarav Mehta
Varanasi Ghats, Uttar Pradesh
Inquiry-led photography experience around riverfront light, old-city movement, and respectful festival work with local guidance.
2 upcoming · next 10 Nov 2026, 5:30 am