Kartik Poornima: Devotees take holy dip at the Dashashwamedh Ghat

On the occasion of Kartik Poornima, thousands of devotees took a holy dip in the waters of Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi on Tuesday, November 12. The festival of Kartik Poornima is also known as Dev Deepawali, and to commemorate this occasion, devotees take a holy dip in the river Sarayu and other holy rivers, while also lighting earthen lamps at temples as well as banks of rivers. Kartika Poornima is a Hindu, Sikh and Jain cultural festival, celebrated on the Purnima (full moon) day or the fifteenth lunar day of Kartik (November–December).

Devotees take a holy dip at Dashashwamedh Ghat 

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Kartik Poornima in Ayodhya 

A large number of devotees have come from the hilly parts of the country, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to take a bath on Kartik Poornima. Karthik Poornima was also celebrated in a big way in Ayodhya. 

The festival is also more commonly referred to as Deva-Diwali or Deva-Deepawali, the festival of lights of the gods. It is also believed that Vishnu, on this day, returns to his abode after completing his stay in Bali. Hence, the day is known as Deva-Diwali. In Rajasthan, Kartik Poornima is celebrated by organising 'melas' (fares). Last Year, celebrations were held in Rajasthan at the ghats of Holy Pushkar ghats. The International Pushkar Fair Gopashtami started from November 4 to November 8. 

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Security tightened in North India

With lakhs of devotees celebrating the festival with faith, security measures across North India have also been tightened. The district administration in Ayodhya made elaborate security arrangements for the festive occasion in the wake of Supreme Court's verdict on the Ayodhya case. A senior official said, besides police force on high alert in the city, units of paramilitary forces, home guards have also been deployed. 

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