PIX: 8L earthen lamps illuminate banks of Ganga in Varanasi on Dev Deepawali

Lakhs of earthen lamps lit up the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi on Monday as people celebrated Dev Deepawali to mark Kartik Purnima.

Dev Deepawali is celebrated every year in Varanasi on the full moon night of the Hindu calander's Kartik month.

Elaborating on the significance of the festival, Batuk Bhairav temple mahant Jitendra Mohan Puri said it is believed that Lord Shiva killed the demon Tripurasura on the full moon day of Kartik month.

To celebrate the demon's slaying, gods lit up lamps in Kashi, he added.

A senior official of the district administration said about eight lakh lamps were lit on the 84 ghats located on the western bank of the river.

The eastern coast was also illuminated with about two lakh lamps, he said.

The official further said that residents decorated the whole city with about 11 lakh earthen lamps as well, he said.

A laser show was organised at the Chet Singh Ghat, the official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in Lok Sabha, shared photos of the city illuminated with earthen lamps.

The Dev Deepawali committees of the city paid tributes to figures like Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya at Assi Ghat, Tulsidas at Tulsi Ghat, Dom Raja at Harishchandra Ghat, and Tailang Swami at Scindia Ghat, he said.

On behalf of the Ganga Seva Nidhi, a replica of the Amar Shaheed Jyoti was prepared at the Dashashwamedh Ghat as a mark of tribute to martyred jawans.

Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajalingam said spiral tricolour LED lights have been installed on government buildings, intersections and other places.

Police Commissioner A Satish Ganesh said that elaborate arrangements were made for safety of tourists.

Adequate number of police and PAC personnel have been deployed, and NDRF and SDRF teams kept on alert, he said.