Chief Minister Reviews Preparations for Dev Deepawali-2025 in Varanasi

Lucknow:Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today reviewed the preparations for Dev Deepawali-2025, to be held in Varanasi, during a high-level meeting at his official residence. The Chief Minister said that Dev Deepawali is a unique confluence of Kashi’s eternal tradition, Ganga worship, and public faith. This festival is a living embodiment of India’s timeless tradition, where lamps are not just light but symbols of dharma, duty, and national sentiment. The event should be organized in such a way that it becomes a global message of India’s cultural soul and spiritual consciousness.The Chief Minister directed that all preparations for the Ganga Mahotsav (01 to 04 November) and the main Dev Deepawali event (05 November) must be time-bound, systematic, and of high quality. Lighting arrangements at ghats, lamp offerings, cultural programmes, and public participation should reflect a balance of devotion, discipline, and beauty.

To make the lamp-offering scene on the Ganga banks an example of devotion and discipline, crowd control, security, cleanliness, and traffic management must be given top priority. All departments should work in coordination to ensure no disruption or disorder occurs.Directing the Tourism, Municipal Corporation, Police, Water Police, Culture, Irrigation, PWD, Electricity, and Health departments, the Chief Minister instructed them to ensure necessary preparations as per their responsibilities. Smart lighting, attractive floral decorations, theme-based installations, and proper drone and CCTV monitoring should be arranged at the ghats. 

Special attention must be given to cleaning and decorating ghats, lanes, and major roads, with adequate sanitation workers deployed at every ghat.The Chief Minister said that the control room must remain active 24×7, with continuous CCTV feed monitoring from the command centre. Adequate toilets, drinking water facilities, medical assistance, and first-aid centres should be established for devotees. Emergency boats and ambulance services must be available near the ghats. Boatmen’s safety must be ensured by providing them with life jackets, registration tags, and information on designated routes.Reviewing preparations for the lamp festival at major ghats including Namo Ghat, Rajghat, Rajendra Prasad Ghat, and Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Chief Minister directed that lamp decorations, tourist facilities, and security measures be executed at a high level. The boatmen community is an integral part of Kashi’s tradition, and their enthusiasm and contribution enhance the dignity of Dev Deepawali.

The administration must ensure they receive adequate support and that devotees get safe boating services.The Chief Minister was informed that a 25-minute projection laser show will be organized three times daily at Chet Singh Ghat. Similarly, sand art installations will be set up between Kashi Vishwanath Ghat and Chet Singh Ghat. A 10-minute green firecracker show will be held in front of Kashi Vishwanath Dham Ghat, along with green fireworks, laser shows, and musical performances.The Chief Minister emphasized that the Dev Deepawali event should embody the spirit of ‘Clean Kashi, Green Kashi, Divine Kashi’. Cleanliness, accessibility, and lighting must be maintained from ghats to lanes. He issued special directives on traffic management, parking, barricading, shuttle services, power supply, and medical services to prevent congestion or disorder in any area.The Chief Minister directed that cultural programmes on the Ganga banks must ensure active participation of local artists, schools, voluntary organizations, women’s groups, and religious leaders.

The event should become a symbol of public cooperation, social harmony, and national pride. Kashi’s festival is not just religious but a celebration of faith, discipline, and inner strength. Devotees and tourists visiting Kashi should experience the sanctity, order, and discipline, embodying the Indian tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (The guest is god).