Deep Poojan
The significance of the lamp, daily worship, Kartik Deep Daan and the Lakshavartika Vrat
Deep Daan · Ganga Aarti, Varanasi
Deep Daan on Maa Ganga at Shivala Ghat
Light a diya for yourself and your family, wherever you live. It is offered to Maa Ganga in your name at the morning or evening Ganga Aarti at Shivala Ghat, for one day, a week or a whole month.
From ₹100 per diya
What is Deep Daan?
Deep Daan means the gift (daan) of a lit lamp (deep). On the ghats of Kashi a small diya, lit with ghee and set in a leaf bowl of fresh flowers, is offered to the flowing waters of Maa Ganga with a prayer. The lamp stands for the light of knowledge that removes darkness, and offering it to the Ganga is one of the oldest acts of devotion in Varanasi.
Deep Daan is offered on any day, and especially on birthdays, anniversaries, the remembrance days of ancestors and festivals. It is most loved in Kartik Maas, when the scriptures give special importance to the lighting of lamps, and the ghats of Kashi glow with lamps through the month up to Dev Deepawali.
Your diya at the Ganga Aarti, Shivala Ghat
ShivBodh Trust performs the daily Ganga Aarti at Shivala Ghat: in the morning at sunrise and in the evening at sunset. When you book a Deep Daan, the Sankalp is taken in your name and gotra and your diya is lit and offered on Maa Ganga at the Aarti you choose. You do not need to travel to Varanasi; if you are in Kashi, you are welcome to come to Shivala Ghat and offer it with your own hands.
- Morning Aarti: 5:30 AM – 6:30 AM
- Evening Aarti: at sunset (about 6:30 PM in summer, 5:45 PM in winter)
- Place: Shivala Ghat, Varanasi 221001
Which diya is right for you?
Natural Ganga Deep Daan
The traditional floating diya: a leaf bowl (pattal) with fresh flowers, a small clay diya of pure cow's ghee and a cotton wick with a little camphor, offered on Maa Ganga after Sankalp in your name and gotra. It can be offered in the morning, the evening or both. A daily live video call is not practical for this offering.
Kartik Maas Special
A more elaborate offering for Kartik Maas with a brass or copper diya, ceremonially lit and worshipped with full Sankalp: name, gotra, rashi and nakshatra. The Samanya and Vishishta options add fruits, Vastra Daan and Dakshina to a Brahmin. With these options a daily live video call can be arranged so you can take part from home.
How it works
- 1
Choose your diya
Natural Ganga diya or a Kartik Special option, and the morning or evening Aarti, or both.
- 2
Pick your days
Daily, weekly or monthly: choose the start date on the calendar and the number of days.
- 3
Pay securely
Checkout opens at varanasipooja.com, our seva partner, with Razorpay: UPI, card or net banking.
- 4
Your Sankalp, your light
The Sankalp is taken in your name and your diya is offered at Shivala Ghat on each day of your plan.
Book your Deep Daan
Choose your diya, the Aarti, your plan and the start date. The total updates as you choose.
How the total is worked out
Rate of the diya × times a day (morning, evening or both) × number of days.
| Diya | 1 day | 7 days | 30 days | 30 days, morning & evening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Ganga Deep Daan₹100 per diya | ₹100 | ₹700 | ₹3,000 | ₹6,000 |
| Kartik Special – Metal Diya₹250 per diya | ₹250 | ₹1,750 | ₹7,500 | ₹15,000 |
| Kartik Special – Samanya₹500 per diya | ₹500 | ₹3,500 | ₹15,000 | ₹30,000 |
| Kartik Special – Vishishta₹1,000 per diya | ₹1,000 | ₹7,000 | ₹30,000 | ₹60,000 |
Read more about the lamp and Maa Ganga
Two eBooks by Sri ShivBodh Ji, published by ShivBodh Trust: the meaning and method of Deep Daan, and the complete worship of Maa Ganga.
Ganga Poojan Bodhika
The glory of Maa Ganga, the complete method of worship, stotras and aarti
Questions about Deep Daan
Deep Daan means offering a lit lamp (deep) as a gift (daan). At the Ganga a small lit diya is set afloat on Maa Ganga with a prayer. It is one of the oldest acts of devotion in Kashi and is most loved in Kartik Maas.
No. The Sankalp is taken in your name and gotra and the diya is offered on your behalf at Shivala Ghat at the morning or evening Ganga Aarti you choose. You can also come and offer it yourself if you are in Kashi.
Total = rate of the diya × times a day × number of days. Morning or evening is once a day; morning and evening is twice. For example, a 30-day plan in the morning and evening is 60 offerings. Rates start at ₹100 per diya.
With the Kartik Special options (metal diya, Samanya and Vishishta) a daily live video call can be arranged at no extra cost. The natural Ganga diya does not include a daily video call.
Choose your plan here and press Continue. Checkout opens at varanasipooja.com, the seva partner of ShivBodh Trust, where you pay securely through Razorpay by UPI, card or net banking. Your plan, dates and total are shown there before you pay.
Any start date from tomorrow up to a year ahead, for 1 to 30 days at a time. The calendar marks Kartik Maas, the most auspicious month for Deep Daan.