Dev Deepawali celebrated with grandeur in Varanasi

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 7 : The age-old Kashi was resplendent with an enthralling spectacle of light and colour on the occasion of Dev Deepavali on Monday with lakhs of earthen lamps (diyas) illuminating the 8-kilometer-long banks of the Ganga while their images floated in the river as people from all over the world stood captivated by the heavenly sight, shouting with joy and chanting "Har Har Mahadev".
As per a press release from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO), at all of the significant ghats, a spectacular 'aarti' was performed along with the clanging of bells to welcome the deities to the land of Kashi.
On this occasion, a scintillating laser show was also organized, along with eco-friendly fireworks. A tribute was also paid to the brave soldiers of the nation by creating a replica of 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' at Dashashwamedh Ghat while a group of girls offered prayers to 'Ganga Maa' during the 'Maha Aarti.'
It is worth mentioning here that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken stock of the preparations for the Dev Deepawali celebrations earlier on last Sunday and had also given necessary instructions to the officials to ensure no inconveniences to the people by facilitating traffic movement and ensuring their safety and security during the celebrations.
On Dev Deepawali, almost 21 lakh "diyas" (earthen lamps) lit up Kashi city, of which, crescent-shaped banks were illuminated by more than 10 lakh diyas, 84 ghats on the west bank by eight lakh diyas while two lakh diyas were lit on the sands of the east bank.
All the temples of Kashi were beautifully lit up for Dev Deepawali, including even the electric poles on the streets. Additionally, people enjoyed eco-friendly fireworks that took place in front of Kashi Vishwanath Dham across the Ganga. Maha Aartis and Ghats were broadcast live at six locations throughout the city.
Recently, Varanasi was declared the cultural and tourism capital for one year by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). On Dev Deepawali, one of the countries from SCO, Russia and two members from Kyrgyzstan witnessed the grand 'Dev Deepawali'.
"Kashi Vishwanath temple complex was decorated with 50 tonnes of flowers on Dev Deepawali. For this, Rs 80 lakh was spent by the government," read an official statement.
According to Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma, the decorator of Visakhapatnam voluntarily took the initiative to decorate the temple. The entire temple complex was decorated attractively as per the vision of the Chief Minister.
The Varanasi Commissionerate Police had made elaborate arrangements for effective crowd management at the ghats on Dev Deepawali.
Commissioner Police Varanasi, Satish Ganesh said, "Security arrangements were made at seven levels in Kashi on Dev Deepawali. Complete preparations were done regarding the safety of the ghats, river, roads, traffic system management, emergency management, and inter-departmental coordination."
Elaborate security arrangements were also made with police personnel deployed at 9 zones, 16 sectors, and 32 sub-sectors.