PARV 25 OF 30 · KARTIK
कार्तिक पूर्णिमा · देव दीपावली
Kartik Purnima (November)
"गंडक में दीया, पूनम के चान"
Katha · The story
On this full moon Shiva killed the three demon cities, Tripura, with a single arrow, and the gods came down to earth to celebrate with lamps: that is Dev Deepawali, the Diwali of the gods. It is also the day the Ganga and her sister rivers are said to be at their purest, the day Vishnu took the Matsya form, and the day Guru Nanak was born. For the village it is the end of the Kartik month of vrats: the lamps float on the Budhi Gandak, the Sama figures are sent off, and the Kartik mela on the Pusa road packs up.
The Kartik snan, a bath in the river before dawn every day of the month, is kept by many old women of Malinagar and ends today with the full-moon bath.
Mahatva · Significance
It closes the holiest month of the year, which began with Sharad Purnima and held Diwali, Chhath and Sama Chakeva. The diyas floated tonight carry the month's prayers down the river to the Ganga.
"कातिक के पूनम, दीया बहे गंडक में"
A line everyone at the festival knows
Vidhi · How it is done in Malinagar
Kheer, puri, the mela's last jalebi, and the gur-chura of Sama Chakeva.
After tonight the village is quiet for a month. Everyone has gone back to the cities, and the fog comes in over the river.