New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) The grand Dev Deepawali of Kashi will be celebrated on Friday and all the 84 ghats will be illuminated with 17 lakh diyas (earthen lamps). This time the diyas decorating the ghats will be dedicated to women empowerment, and tributes will also be paid to the iconic late industrialist Ratan Tata on the ghats of Kashi.

Apart from this, laser shows and fireworks will also be organised at Ganga Dwar and Chet Singh Ghat. Elaborate arrangements have also been made for the world famous Ganga Aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat.

The city of Varanasi is expecting lakhs of tourists to throng to the holy town for witnessing the auspicious festival.

Dev Deepawali is observed annually on the 15th lunar day of the Kartik month in the Hindu calendar, along with Kartik Purnima. The day is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Shiva over demon Tripurasur. This year the Kartik Purnima has fallen on November 15 so Dev Deepawali of Kashi will be celebrated today.

The Dev Deepawali is expected to draw 20 per cent more tourists this time, as compared to last year and hotels and boats have also witnessed unprecedented demand.

Hotels, homestays as well as boats in the city have already been booked, ahead of Dev Deepawali and as per official estimates, about 10 lakh tourists are expected to visit the city this time.

Priyank Dev Singh, Secretary of Varanasi Hotel Association said that this time the number of tourists on Dev Deepawali has increased significantly, compared to last year. Most of the tourists are staying in home stays and guest houses.

"Booking for Dev Deepawali starts from June itself. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the people about it and the tourists coming here are also going to Ayodhya. Apart from this, tourism is also being promoted by the government," he said.

Boatman Makalu Sahni said that every year he makes necessary preparations for Dev Deepawali. During this time, he takes care of passengers’ facilities. “This time, there is a lot of enthusiasm among people and most of the boats have also been booked in advance,” Sahni said.