PM TO VISIT KASHI

security to VVIP guests and the crowd for the Dev Deepawali celebrations.

Confirming this, district magistrate Kaushalraj Sharma said that the step had been taken as a security measure.

Sharma also said the flying of drones had been banned for four days from November 28 to December 1. However, drones of security agencies will be exempted from the ban. Fireworks had already been banned in line with the National Green

Tribunal’s orders until November 30. He appealed to various organisations to light diyas enthusiastically.

Sand replicas of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and 16 ghats have been created on the riverbank. A laser show and cultural events will be part of the grand celebrations.

Varanasi had been turned into a fortress to ensure foolproof security, a senior police officer said, and added that tight security arrangements had been put in place in Sarnath too.

Regional tourism officer Keertiman Srivastava said all preparations for the celebrations had been completed.

During his visit to Varanasi on Thursday, chief minister Yogi Adiyanath said the Dev Deepawali celebration would be “grand and divine”. Dev Deepawali is celebrated every year on Purnima (full moon day) in the Hindu month of Kartik (November) in Varanasi.

SIGNIFICANCE OF DEV DEEPAWALI

Pandit Prasad Dixit, a former trustee of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust and an astrologer, said Dev Deepawali, or Diwali of the deities, is celebrated on Kartik Purnima.