Dhanteras marks the first day of Diwali. People also know Dhanteras as Dhantrayodashi or Dhanwantari Triodasi, which falls on the auspicious thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik (October/November).
In the word Dhanteras, “Dhan” stands for wealth. On Dhanteras, devotees worship Goddess Laxmi to provide prosperity and well-being. Hence, Dhanteras holds a lot more significance for the business community.
Dhanteras Legends: A very interesting story about the Dhanteras Festival says that once the sixteen-year-old son of King Hima was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage as per his horoscope.
On that particular fourth day of his marriage, his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid all the ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband’s boudoir and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. She went on telling stories and singing songs.
When Yama, the god of Death, arrived there in the guise of a Serpent, his eyes got blinded by the dazzle of those brilliant lights, and he could not enter the Prince’s chamber. So he climbed on top of the heap of the ornaments and coins and sat there the whole night listening to the melodious songs.
In the morning, he quietly went away. Thus, the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death. Since then, people have known this day of Dhanteras as the day of “Yamadeepdaan,” and devotees keep lamps burning throughout the night in reverential adoration to Yam, the god of Death.
According to another popular legend, when the gods and demons churned the ocean for Amrit or nectar, Dhanavantri (the physician of the gods and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras.
Dhanteras Preparations: To mark the auspicious day, families and business owners renovate and decorate their houses and premises. They make entrances colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, they draw small footprints with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses. They keep lamps burning all through the nights.
Dhanteras Traditions: On Dhanteras, Hindus consider it auspicious to purchase gold or silver articles or at least one or two new utensils. They believe that new “Dhan” or some form of precious metal is a sign of good luck. Devotees perform “Laxmi-Puja” in the evenings when they light tiny Diyas of clay to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. They also sing “Bhajans”-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi.
Dhanteras Celebrations: People celebrate Dhanteras with gusto and enthusiasm. They perform “Lakshmi-Puja” in the evenings when they light tiny diyas of clay to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. They sing Bhajans or devotional songs in praise of Goddess Laxmi and offer “Naivedya” of traditional sweets to the Goddess. There is a peculiar custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry coriander seeds with jaggery and offer it as Naivedya.
In villages, farmers adorn and worship cattle as they form the main source of their income. In the south, people offer special veneration to cows as they are supposed to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they adorn and worship them on this day.
Content for this question contributed by Jennifer Hartman, resident of Aptos, Santa Cruz County, California, USA
