51,000 lamps lit on Dev Deepvali in Pune

People in Pune lit 51, 000 earthen lamps on the occasion of Tripurari Poornima, the full moon day of the Kartik month as per Hindu almanac on Monday.

The special attractions were the Pataleshwar and Mahalakshmi temple of the city where the grand illumination created a magnificent sight, as people of all religions lit the lamps here.

"Our faith is in the goddess temple. We have been celebrating this festival here for last 11 years. On the occasion of Tripurari Poornima, we have lighted 51,000 earthen lamps. People of all religions and all communities have together lighted lamps here. We wish that with light of this lamp illuminates lives of every human being," said Mina Aggarwal, a devotee.

Tripurari Poornima, the full moon day, is considered auspicious especially among Hindus and people believe that lighting lamps in the temple on this day brings prosperity and peace in the lives of human beings. Devotees in Pune city were very enthusiastic about the festival and started preparations 15 days ahead of the big day.

"People feel happy after seeing the atmosphere here. I don't think such a festival is celebrated elsewhere in Pune. Earthen lamps are designed, each lamp is painted and not even a single lamp is used unpainted. We start preparing for this occasion about 15 days before the festival," said Meghna, another devotee.

Though there are many legends related to the organization of this festival, it is believed that the festival commemorates the mythological slaying of demon Tripurasur and is celebrated just days after Diwali, the annual festival of lights.