Using the occasion to boost rural tourism in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday took the Dev Deepawali (festival of lights of gods) celebrations beyond the ghats of Varanasi to the heritage villages of the district and those of Ayodhya, Jaunpur and Ambedkarnagar.

Over 15 lakh diyas were lit across 88 ghats of Varanasi as part of the event which was kicked off by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath , state Tourism Department officials said.

The main attractions on the occasion were the Ganga Arti in Varanasi, where the ritual was performed simultaneously at eight main ghats of the city — Namo Ghat, Gai Ghat, Panchganga Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, Sheetla Ghat, Dandkar Ghat, Tulsi Ghat and Assi Ghat — and ‘Kashi Katha 3D show’ and green fireworks display near the Ganga Dwar.

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