Overview
- Over 10 lakh diyas will be lit across Varanasi’s ghats and waterbodies on November 5, including about one lakh eco-friendly lamps made from cow dung, according to official briefings.
- The 25-minute ‘Kashi Katha’ 3D projection and laser show will be staged free of charge in three sessions at 8:15 pm, 9:00 pm and 9:35 pm, following a 10-minute green fireworks display at 8:00 pm near the Ganga Dwar of Kashi Vishwanath Dham.
- Authorities have split the riverfront into 20 sectors with nodal officers and are deploying AI-enabled monitoring with 2,576 CCTV cameras, ANPR and face-recognition systems, tethered drones and anti-drone measures.
- Ganga Seva Nidhi’s Maha Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat will feature 21 priests and 42 dev kanayas, with decorations including 21 quintals of flowers and 51,000 lamps.
- Some organizers assert a combined total of roughly 25 lakh diyas when NGO efforts are included, a higher figure than the government’s plan, as tourism bodies report full bookings and sharply higher hotel rates for the festival period.