Five-days-long Diwali celebration begins with Dhanteras that marks the first day of this festival. In other words Dhanteras is also called Dhanwantari Triodasi or Dhantrayodashi, which falls on the felicitous thirteenth lunar day of Karik month’s Krishna Paksha (generally October/November). On this day people worship Goddess Laxmi for prosperity and wellbeing. Henceforth, this day holds greater significance in corporate community in India.
Dhanteras, the day to worship Goddess Lakshmi to seek her blessings, will be celebrated on Tuesday, 29th October 2024.
| Dhanteras Puja Shubh Muhurat | 06:31 PM to 08:13 PM |
| Pradosh Kaal | 05:38 PM to 08:13 PM |
| Vrishabha Kaal | 06:31 PM to 08:27 PM |
| Trayodashi Tithi Begins | 10:31 AM on Oct 29, 2024 |
| Trayodashi Tithi Ends | 01:15 PM on Oct 30, 2024 |
A very old yet interesting fable ascribes the event as follows- once 16 year old son of the King Hima was bitten by a snake on the very fourth-day of his marriage according to his horoscope. When the fourth day of his marriage arrived, his wife didn’t let him fall asleep. She laid every piece of jewelry and a heap of gold as well as silver coins at the doorway and put on innumerable lamps all around the place. And, she continued telling stores & singling songs.
When Yama (the God of Death as per Hindu Mythology) arrived there taking the form of the snake, his eyes got blinded with the dazzling lights of lamps and heap of coins. He couldn’t invade the prince by entering his chamber. Therefore, he mounted on the heap of the coins & jewelries and sat over there the whole night listening to the songs. In the dawn he went away without making a noise. Hence, the young wife saved her husband from grip of death. Since then, this day became famous as the day of “Yamadeepdaan” and people keep lamps burning the whole night so as to pay reverence to the God of Death- Yama.
According to another famous fable, when suras and asuras (Gods and Demons) churned the ocean for nectar or the Amrit, dhanavantri (the physician of the Gods & the avatar of Vishnu) emerged out of the ocean carrying a jar of elixir right on the day of Dhanteras.
To mark the fortuitous day, houses and offices are refurbished and beautified. With stunning traditional motifs and rangoli, entrances of homes and office premises are made colorful so as to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity- Lakshmi. Even to signify her long-awaited arrival, tiny footprints are made with vermilion and rice flour and Dhanteras gifts are bought liker new utensils or silver-gold coins and jewelries. Lamps are kept illuminating all through the night to bring prosperity.
On this day it is believed that buying gold or silver articles bring prosperity and prove to be auspicious. Also people buy new utensils and stuffs. Buying new stuffs made of precious metals is said to be a sign of good luck. By evening people perform “Lakhsmi Puja” and light earthen lamps or diyas to ward off evil spirits.
1. The Dhanteras Puja is performed in the evening after seeing the stars. A clean wooden platform or a Chowki is required on which a Swastik is made using kumkum or Rangoli as it is a symbol of good luck, good health, and prosperity.
2. Take an earthen or flour dough diya and put four cotton wicks in it. Keep this diya on the Swastik and pour ghee or oil in it.
3. Put a cowry shell with a hole in it. Lit the diya and offer your prayers to the Lord Yamraj as well as to the deceased ancestors of the family.
3. For the Dhanvantari Puja, recite the Dhanvantri mantra ' Aum dhan dhanvatarey namah' for 108 times.
4. Immediately after Dhanvantari Puja, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi are worshipped and offered flowers and sweets. Incense sticks are also lit.
5. After the Ganesh-Lakshmi Puja, the holy water of Ganga in the Panchpatra or copper vessel is sprinkled around the diya for a minimum of three times. Roli and rice are applied on the diya and four sweets are offered to every lit cotton wick of the diya. A one rupee coin is also put in the diya.
6. Offer flowers to the diya and light incense sticks. The women of the house circumnavigate the diya for four times, kneel down, and perform Pranam to the diya to pray to the Gods.
7. The unmarried or the eldest woman of the family applies tilak on everyone’s foreheads. The male members take the diya and place it on the right-hand side of the entrance of the house. The direction of the Dhanteras diya should be South-West.
8. Buying silver and gold utensils and keeping them near the place of the Puja plays a crucial role in welcoming wealth and prosperity in homes.
9. Illuminate the entrance of the homes with more lamps and diyas to welcome Goddess Lakshmi in homes.
1. May this Dhanteras bring you new dreams and opportunities, wealth and prosperity into your homes and your lives. Happy Dhanteras!!!
2. May the lamps and diyas of Dhanteras fill your life with happiness, success, and good health. Happy Dhanteras to you & your family!
3. Let the gold chariot make its way into your home and bring your good luck, wealth, and prosperity. Have a great and blissful Dhanteras!
4. May Goddess Lakshmi bless your home with all the happiness, wealth, health, and harmony this Dhanteras!
5. May this Dhanteras Light up new dreams, fresh hopes, undiscovered avenues, different perspectives, everything bright. Happy Dhanteras!
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Happy Dhanteras!!!
7. Hope this Lakshmi Puja fill your life with all the gaiety, good health, peace, and wealth. Wishing you a happy and prosperous Dhanteras!
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9. May this Dhanteras Celebrations
Endow you with opulence and prosperity
Happiness comes at your steps
Wishing many bright future in your life…
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The Dhanteras celebration is enjoyed with gusto and enthusiasm. In the evening with Lakshmi Puja people wish for prosperity and wellbeing. Lamps are lighted to do away with evil spirits. Bhajans and devotional songs are sung by people to praise the powers of Goddess Lakshmi and Naivedya is offered to adulate her. In Maharashtra there is an odd custom in which people offer lightly pound dry coriander seeds with jaggery as naivedya to Goddess Lakshmi.
In villages people deck up their cattle and worship them as they are live-stocks for farmers. In southernmost part of India, cows are given special venetration as they are said to be the incarnation of Goddess Laxmi.
