Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area
Dev Deepavali
Dates for the Bay Area
- Monday, 23 November 2026Major regional festivalnext
- Saturday, 13 November 2027Major regional festival
- Wednesday, 1 November 2028Major regional festival
Why it matters
Kārttika Pūrṇimā, about fifteen days after Dīpāvalī, when the ghats of Varanasi from the southern ghats to Raj Ghat are lined with earthen lamps. Devotees hold that the gods come down to bathe in the Gaṅgā on this night. The day is also Tripurāri Pūrṇimā, honouring Śiva.
Where it falls
It closes the five days that begin at Prabodhinī Ekādaśī and ends the Tulasī Vivāha season. Tamil Kārttikai Dīpam, reckoned by the Kṛttikā nakṣatra in the solar month, is the southern lamp festival of the same season and does not always fall on the same day.
The story behind it
Śiva, as Tripurāntaka, destroyed Tripura, the three cities of the asuras, with a single arrow. The gods then celebrated with lights, which gives the festival its name, the 'Dīpāvalī of the gods'. Varanasi tradition holds that the gods themselves descend to Kāśī and the Gaṅgā on this full moon.
Prayers and worship
Many devotees take a pre-dawn ritual bath (Kārttika snāna) in the Gaṅgā. In the evening, Gaṅgā āratī is performed on the ghats with large brass lamps, conches and hymns.
How families keep it
Accounts stress the ritual bath (Kārttika snāna) and the offering of lamps (dīpadāna) rather than any fixed fast. Customs on this pūrṇimā vary by family and region.
What is typically offered
Earthen dīpas are set out along the ghats and floated on the river as offerings to the Gaṅgā (dīpadāna).
Visiting a temple that day
This observance can differ substantially between temples. Treat the local temple’s published program as authoritative for participation details. Temple practices vary by region and sampradaya. Dress modestly, remove footwear where required, follow priest/volunteer directions, ask before photography, and check the temple’s event page for exact pooja, fasting and prasādam arrangements.
Sources for this page (8)
The description above is this site’s own, researched from the sources below and written in our words; each section rests on at least two of them. It has not been reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal, and it describes how families commonly keep the day — your family’s tradition comes first.
- Dev Deepawali: Illuminating the eternal spirit of Kashi — Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India)
- Dev Deepavali (Varanasi) — Wikipedia
- Kartika Purnima — Wikipedia
- Dev Deepawali — Government of India Utsav portal (Uttar Pradesh Tourism)
- CREDOS: Prabodhini Ekadashi (9 Nov 2008) — The Himalayan Times
- Karthika Deepam — Wikipedia
- Dev Deepawali: When the gods descend to Kashi (1 Nov 2025) — Organiser
- Dev Deepawali celebrated at Varanasi ghats on Kartik Purnima (15 Nov 2024) — All India Radio News (newsonair.gov.in)
Request this pooja
Ask Sri Kumar Gurukkal about a pooja for Dev Deepavali — at your home, at a temple, or with family joining remotely. A request is an enquiry, not a booking.
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Maha ShivaratriPanguni UthiramKarwa ChauthKarthigai DeepamArudra DarshanAll Pūrṇimā datesThe 2026–27 dates were compiled from a Northern-California Panchāṅgam reference for the Fremont / Bay Area location. The 2028 date is computed by this site’s own engine from the festival’s standard definition, tested against the 2026–27 dates: Kārttika śukla pūrṇimā, judged at the tithi at sunrise (udaya-vyāpinī). No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →