Dev Deepawali celebration in Kolkata 2022

|| तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ||

From darkness, lead me to light.

When we light a lamp, it banishes darkness.

When we illuminate ourselves with the light of education, it dispels ignorance.

According to Hindu and various other mythologies, light has always symbolized good, while darkness represents evil. In India, we celebrate the Diwali festival, which signifies the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

During Diwali, Hindus light Diyas or Deepaks (known as Prodeep in Bengali), which are oil lamps made from clay or mud with cotton wicks soaked in oil. Today, Diwali is celebrated worldwide as the Festival of Lights. However, many people are unaware of a similar festival of lights that occurs just 15 days after Diwali, on the auspicious evening of Kartik Purnima (Full Moon).

Kartik Purnima holds significance not only among Hindus but also in various other Indian religions. For instance, it is celebrated as Gurupurab, the birthday of the esteemed Sikh preceptor Guru Nanak. Jains observe this day by visiting Palitana, a Jain pilgrimage center. In southern India, it is known as Karthika Deepam. Bengali Hindus celebrate it as Raas Purnima, believing that Radha and Krishna perform Raslila (Ras Dance) with their Gopis (Braj-Gopis) during this auspicious day. According to another legend, it is believed that Krishna worshiped Radha on this day.

The auspicious celebration I mentioned earlier is known as Tripurari Purnima or Dev-Deepawali. In Hindu mythology, this story has various intriguing versions. Let's explore the most popular one.

Long ago, there were three asura brothers named Tarakaksha, Vidyunmāli, and Kamalaksha, collectively known as Tripurasura. They were the sons of the asura Tarakasura (notably slain by Karthik/Karthikeya). These brothers performed intense penance and pleased Lord Brahma. They sought immortality, but Brahma denied their request. Instead, they cleverly asked for unusual boons that, if granted, would make them nearly immortal. They requested the creation of three cities – one of gold, one of silver, and one of iron. They would reside in these cities for a thousand years, and these cities, located in different worlds, would align every 1,000 years, forming the combined city of Tripura. They challenged that if anyone could destroy Tripura with a single arrow when the cities converged, it would be their destined death. Brahma granted their request.

As evil began to flourish, the gods were displeased and turned to Brahma for help, but he was unable to intervene. Shiva had to come to the rescue when the asuras crossed all limits. Lord Shiva used his divine weapon, the Pashupatastra, and fired a single arrow at the three cities the moment they merged into one, reducing them to ashes. Shiva earned the title Tripurari for this feat, and the gods celebrated by lighting lamps. Thus, Dev-Deepawali was born. While different Hindu mythologies offer various renditions of this story, they all center around Shiva's destruction of Tripurasura and the subsequent celebration by the gods.

Dev-Deepawali is primarily celebrated in the northern parts of India, with Varanasi, the city of Lord Shiva, being a prominent hub for this festival. The steps of all the riverfront ghats in Kashi are adorned with more than a million Diyas. As per mythology, the gods are believed to descend to Earth on this day to bathe in the Ganges. This is why it is also observed as Tripura Purnima Snan, where devotees take a holy bath in the Ganges, known as Kartik Snan.

Varanasi has always been a photographer's paradise, and during the celebration of Dev-Deepawali, it becomes even more enchanting. I had the opportunity to visit Varanasi once, and I hope to return in the future, especially during Dev-Deepawali, at least once in my lifetime.

One day, while browsing the internet, I discovered that Dev-Deepawali is also celebrated on a few of the Ganges ghats in Kolkata. I decided to pay a visit. In 2022, the festival fell on a Monday, and as a corporate employee, taking time off on a workday was no small feat. Even a few hours away from the office felt like a transgression against management. Nonetheless, I resolved to visit one of these ghats in Kolkata, no matter what it took. When the clock struck 4 in the evening, I closed my laptop, packed my camera bag, started my car, and set out on my journey. By the time I reached Ahiritola Ghat, a crowd had already gathered, and people began placing Diyas. As the sun dipped below the horizon, devotees began lighting the lamps.

Other photographers had also arrived by then, and amidst the devotees, their families, the Diyas on the Ghat's steps, and the volunteers ensuring everyone's safety during the festivities, the place became somewhat crowded. As I was equipped with only a 35mm lens and lacked a wider one, framing the subjects in the crowd proved challenging. I had recently transitioned from a Nikon DSLR to a Sony Mirrorless system, selling off most of my Nikon gear to finance my Sony a7iv purchase. Currently, I owned only a couple of prime lenses, and the 35mm was one of them. Despite the limitations, I managed to capture a few photographs, and I must say I felt privileged to witness and photograph this incredible festival for the first time. I aspire to visit Varanasi during this festival with all the necessary equipment in hand to capture more of the celebrations.

Here are some of my clicked photographs from the event, with a couple posted above as well. Please take a moment to like/react, share, and comment on these photographs.

Dev Deepawali - Kolkata 2022 - Documentary Photo Series

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Photography MRINAL BHATTACHERJEE

A very special thanks to my Mom & Dad for loving & supporting me.