Basant Panchami in Varanasi heralds not just spring but the exhilarating Tilak Utsav for Baba Kashi Vishwanath, igniting preparations for the celestial marriage of Shiva and Parvati. This cherished tradition turns the holy city into a beacon of bhakti, with temple environs bursting with ornate setups and zealous crowds.
The tilak application marks the ceremonial grooming of Lord Shiva for his wedding on Maha Shivratri, set for Sunday, February 15—Phalgun’s Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi. Devotees embrace vrats, jagarans, and midnight Nishita Kaal abhishekam, flocking to iconic sites like Annapurna, Mahamrityunjaya Mahadev, Bankhandi, and Lolarkeshwar temples amid a sea of diyas and chants.
Climaxing on Rangbhari Ekadashi, February 27—a Friday Shukla Paksha event—the gauna rite sees Parvati’s triumphant return with Shiva to Kashi. This ushers in Holi through smashan leelas, where the divine couple is said to frolic with colors and ganas. Temples reverberate with abeer showers, drums, and ecstatic participation.
Spanning tilak to gauna, these observances encapsulate Kashi’s devotional heartbeat, attracting global pilgrims to partake in a living epic of love, ritual, and renewal.