After Success of Deepotsav In Ayodhya, Tourism Industry Eyes Dev Deepawali In Varanasi

Varanasi, November 18 (TNA) After the successful even of Deepotsav in Ayodhya a few days back, a buoyed tourism industry has now set its eyes on the Dev Deepawali which is held on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi every year.

And so while the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had clouded the itinerary of the Dev Deepawali in Varanasi, a green signal from the chief minister Yogi Adityanath has energised the organisers and the tourism industry in world's oldest city.

After Ram's city Ayodhya has lit up this Diwali, now the city of Shiva has started preparing for Kashi Deepotsav. The tourism department is of the view that the impact of COVID-19 was slowly on the ebb and that situation in the sector was considerably improving.

Gokul Sharma, president of the Benares Hotel Association says that after the success of the Deeopotsava at Ayodhya recently, the footfalls was likely to increase.

There have already been many queries by tourists with regards to Deep Diwali, he added. The tourism department pins hopes of a 15% increase in tourist footfall. Bookings, local hoteliers say have also started to trickle in.

Arrangements have been made to completely sanitise the hotel rooms, the boats and the market. People associated with hotels and tourism believe that if the government granted visas, then foreign guests would come and there would be a big wave in the tourism industry and the tourism industry was on the anvil.

The boatsman community is also exited about the whole thing. They hope that soon the boats will unshackle themselves from the chains that have held them on the banks for several months now and they will again go into and get into the river, with guests.

President of Tourism Welfare Association Rahul Mehta informed that the Yogi government had successfully sustained most sectors during the pandemic and this applied to the tourism sector as well. He added that tourism was the backbone of economy in Varanasi and neighbouring areas.

The successful organising of Dev Deepawali would go a long way in infusing confidence and bringing back normalcy in the tourism sector, industry insiders feel. Kirtiman Srivastava, tourism officer of Varanasi and Vindhyachal division, also believes that before the corona there was an influx of 3 lakh domestic and foreign dignitaries, but the number of tours at the time of Corona Peak i.e. full lock down was reduced to zero.

Teej festival and The number of tourists has increased gradually due to weddings and the number of domestic and foreign tourists has increased in the month of September, which has reached 5025, as well as hotels are being booked, now about 15 percent tourism is expected to increase.

The religious significance of Dev Deepawali is immense as the mother Ganga also flows through the north corridor on the banks of the Ghats of Benares, seen from the crescent-shaped Muktasya platform on the banks. The city is as religious as it is spiritual.

Spirituality is used here as symbols. Which has been expressed in different statements by different sects of Sanatana Dharma. The image of Devaloka descending on the Ganges, is like Dev Diwali of Kashi. 15 days after Diwali (30 November), on Kartik Purnima, the wonderful lighting of the lamps on the crescent ghats of the Ganges in Kashi creates an atmosphere like 'Devlok' (heaven).

Dev Deepawali Festival has become the center of attraction in the entire country and abroad in the last two decades, 'cultural capital of the country' has become the identity of the culture of Kashi.

There is a Diwali of the deities on Kartik Purnima. To celebrate Diwali, the deities descend from heaven in the invisible form of the holy Ganges ghats of Kashi and pave the way for the salvation of the devotees involved in the Maha Aarti. This festival is a special part of the ancient culture of Kashi.

The description of Dev Diwali is found in the Shiva Purana that when the demon named Tripura Sur started torturing the gods in Kartik month and started killing them, then Lord Vishnu killed this cruel demon on this day. Had done, and the gods had celebrated Diwali .... It is believed that on this day all the gods and goddesses of Dev Lok are present in the invisible form on the Ganges Ghat of Kashi, it is also believed that the King of Kashi gave the ghats for his martyred soldiers. But the practice of ignition was started.

On the day of Dev Diwali, all the ghats illuminate with the light of lamps. In the great aarti of the Ganges on the Ghats, people as if they danced in the sea of ​​faith. The echo of bells and gongs and the love rising from the light of the aarti reminds us of that period, Karthik holds the special place of celestial sight because the sun is closest to the earth at this time, so Lord Bhaskar influence is greater on the earth.

By donating a lamp on this day of Kartik month, the ancestors get freedom and at the same time, the devotee who donates the lamp also gets the path of salvation. Kartik month is considered to be worshiped by Lord Vishnu but Lord Shiva is considered to be Vishnu and Mother Ganga loved and Kashi is called the city of Shiva, that's why millions of devotees want to be a supernatural part of this holy moment on this momentous event.