Dev Deepawali Lamps in Varanasi's Lanes

Photographs of Dev Deepawali usually show the river: the long curve of ghats outlined in light, boats in the foreground, perhaps the moon above. What they rarely show is what happens a few steps back from the water, in the lanes that lead down to the ghats. The lamps do not stop at the riverfront. On the night of Kartik Purnima they spill into doorways, onto windowsills, along the edges of steps and into the small shrines that punctuate the old city. The lanes change character, and walking them is one of the quiet pleasures of the festival.

Lamps beyond the river

The tradition of lighting lamps on Dev Deepawali is centred on the ghats, but many households and neighbourhood temples in Varanasi light lamps of their own. Clay diyas with cotton wicks and mustard oil or ghee are the most traditional; electric fairy lights are increasingly common too. You may see lamps arranged in patterns on doorsteps, along the tops of walls, and around the base of trees and shrines, especially peepal trees, which have religious significance.

The effect in the lanes is intimate rather than grand. Where the ghats offer a panorama, the lanes offer close-ups: a single lamp flickering in a niche, a child carefully lighting a row along a step, the glow on an old carved door.

When to walk

The lanes are at their best early in the evening, before the main crowds flow towards the river, and later at night, after the aarti, as people drift home. In between, many lanes leading to the main ghats become one-way streams of people, and stopping to look can be difficult. Lanes that run parallel to the river, rather than down to it, are often quieter.

If you are staying in the old city, step out of your guesthouse around dusk and simply walk the immediate neighbourhood before heading to the river. You may find that the lanes around you have their own small celebration.

What changes

The lamps change how the lanes look and feel in several ways.

Light: the lanes, often dim at night, are lit from below and the side, revealing architectural details invisible during the day.
Sound: bells from temples, chanting and conversation carry differently in the narrow spaces, and the festival’s sound comes in waves from the river.
Smell: burning oil, incense, marigolds and sweets frying in shops.
Movement: people move slowly, often in family groups, carrying trays of lamps and offerings.

Neighbourhood temples

Small temples, sometimes no larger than a room, are often decorated with lamps and flowers on Dev Deepawali. Many have their own evening aarti. If a temple is open and you are welcome, you may stand quietly at the back; remove your shoes, cover your head if others are doing so, and follow local cues. Avoid flash photography, and do not photograph during rituals unless you have clearly been invited to.

Safety in the lanes

Lamps, crowds and narrow lanes require some care. Watch where you put your feet, as lamps may be placed on steps and at the edges of passages. Loose clothing such as dupattas and scarves can catch a flame; keep them tucked in. Hot oil can spill. If you are carrying a lamp yourself, hold it steady and away from others.

Crowds in the lanes can build quickly, especially near the main approaches to Dashashwamedh and other popular ghats. If you feel uncomfortable, step into a side lane or a shop doorway and let the flow pass. Keep your phone and wallet secure.

Sharing the lamps

Visitors are sometimes invited to light a lamp, especially on the ghats, where small leaf-boats with a lamp and flowers are sold to be floated on the river. If you choose to do this, buy from a seller on the ghat, and be aware that environmental concerns about waste in the river have prompted campaigns encouraging simpler offerings. In the lanes, if a family invites you to light a lamp at their doorstep, it is a kind gesture to accept with thanks; do not insist if no invitation is offered.

Photographing the lanes

The lanes reward patient photography. Low light means slower shutter speeds or higher ISO; a phone’s night mode can work well if you hold still. Compose with the architecture, use lamps as points of light in the frame, and capture the movement of people rather than staging scenes. Ask before photographing people in close-up, particularly at their own homes. Respect any request not to photograph.

Beyond the old city

Lamps on Dev Deepawali are not confined to the oldest neighbourhoods. Areas around Assi, Bhelupur and Lanka, residential colonies and some university areas also light up, often with a mix of traditional and electric lights. If you are staying further from the river, a walk in your own neighbourhood may show you a quieter, more domestic side of the festival.

The night as a whole

The lanes are not a substitute for the ghats on Dev Deepawali, but they complete the picture. The river is where the city puts on its great display; the lanes are where the festival lives in everyday homes. Walk both, and you will come away with the sense that the lamps are not just for the gods and the cameras, but for neighbours, families and the passages between them.

The morning after

Walk the same lanes the next morning, early. The lamps will have burnt out, leaving blackened clay diyas on steps and walls, drips of oil, and scattered marigold petals. Sweepers will already be at work. Families may be gathering the used lamps; some are reused, many are discarded. It is a quieter, more reflective scene, and it shows how quickly the city returns to its ordinary rhythm. The lanes that glowed a few hours earlier are once again full of milk sellers, schoolchildren and pilgrims heading to the river.

How to find the quieter lanes

If the lanes nearest the main ghats are too crowded, head either south towards Assi and Shivala or north beyond Manikarnika towards Panchganga and the upper ghats. These areas tend to be more residential and slower. Ask your guesthouse host which lanes in their neighbourhood are lit most beautifully; local knowledge is the best map on a night like this, and hosts often have a favourite corner they are pleased to share.