November 2026 gives North India two festivals of lights, seventeen days apart in two temple cities: Deepotsav in Ayodhya on 7 November (Diwali follows on 8 November) and Dev Deepawali in Varanasi on 24 November, the Kartik Purnima full moon. They are often confused; they shouldn’t be — they’re different in almost every way that matters for planning.
Checked 01 October 2026.
The comparison
| Deepotsav (Ayodhya) | Dev Deepawali (Varanasi) | |
|---|---|---|
| Date 2026 | Reported 7 Nov (Diwali 8 Nov) | Tue 24 Nov (Kartik Purnima) — panchang-verified |
| Setting | Ram ki Paidi / Saryu riverfront, as a produced event | Every ghat on the Ganga, as a city-wide observance |
| Character | Government production: 2,100-drone show, laser/3D projections, ~30-lakh diya target (reported) | Religious participation: diyas at homes and ghats, mirrored aartis, Kartik snan |
| Crowd shape | Concentrated at the event zone | Distributed across ~84–88 ghats |
| Booking pressure | Ayodhya stays sell out weeks ahead | Varanasi riverfront sells out earlier still; boat rules apply |
| Travel pairing | Pairs with Kashi the same week | Pairs with Ayodhya’s post-Diwali calm |
Which one — or both?
- Spectacle first: Deepotsav. The drone shows and the produced scale have no equal.
- Participation first: Dev Deepawali. You are inside a city’s observance, not an audience.
- Both: the pairing is real — Ayodhya (7 Nov) → Kashi (24 Nov) fits one November leave with two stays and one train. The circuit plan connects the legs.
The planning constants
Both festivals mean: book stays the moment dates fix, expect road controls, carry the festival page’s checklist, and let the Yatra Alerts list carry the notifications (the 2026 Dev Deepawali operational rules follow the 2025 model — no-fly zone, boat restrictions — announced close to the date).
Frequently asked questions
Which comes first?
Deepotsav (7 Nov 2026, reported) before Dev Deepawali (24 Nov 2026).
Can I see both?
Yes — seventeen days apart, connected by a short train leg; the circuit plan covers it.
Yatra Alerts — free
Booking windows opening, festival dates, crowd advisories — a short alert only when it matters. Get the next yatra alert before you plan.