Dhateras marks the beginning of the five-day celebration of Diwali. With Dhanteras Puja, Hindus welcome prosperity and Goddess Lakshmi into their homes. The significance of Dhanteras is related to many legends and beliefs.
Besides, in today’s world, Dhanteras is one big day that e-Commerce and Gold businesses look forward to. People in India celebrate Dhanateras, also called Dhanatrayodashi, according to their local beliefs and practices.
As we move along in this post, let us understand the stories behind Dhanteras, legends of Dhanteras, dhanteras date, along with many fascinating aspects of the Dhanteras festival.
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Dhanteras Date
Dhanteras is auspicious for Lakshmi puja. And this conjunction of Tuesday with Dhanteras makes Dhanteras a significant day.
According to the Hindu calendar, the Dhanteras celebration falls on the Trayodashi day of Ashwayuja month. Thrayodashi in Sanskrit gives the Hindi word teras which means thirteenth. Thus, Dhanteras meaning is the thirteenth day of Aswin month of the Indian Lunar calendar.
When is Dhanteras Celebrated?
Dhanteras puja has immense significance. The Dhanteras muhurat makes it significant for performing Lakshmi Puja along with bhajans and chanting. Dhanteras puja time is during the pradosh kaal. The time between sunset and the rise of the night.
How to do Dhanteras Puja at Home?
It is a belief that dhanteras puja muhurat holds the power to attract health and prosperity. One of the reasons behind dhanteras ki puja is worshipping Dhanwantari – the God of Ayurveda. Another reason to perform dhanteras puja at home is to appease Goddess Lakshmi and seek her blessings.
To do dhanteras puja at home, people deep clean their houses the day before or during the morning time of Dhanteras. They then take a head bath and prepare naivedya or offering to God. During the Dhanteras puja time, they perform Ashtotra, Satanamavaali, Bhajan, Kirtan, and Chanting of Goddess Lakshmi and or Dhanvantari. After the puja, naivedya is offered to God and then distributed among the attendees.
Why is Dhanteras Celebrated?
Dhanteras is celebrated as the first day of 5-day long celebrations of Diwali. According to Hindu scriptures, it was on Dhanteras when Dhanvantari and Goddess Lakshmi originated from the cosmic milk ocean during its churning. Dhanvantari is the Doctor of Gods and brought along with him the magical potion Ayurveda that is the elixir for humankind.
Similarly, it was Goddess Lakshmi who originated to bless humanity with health, wealth, happiness, and prosperity with her divine blessings. Dhanteras is celebrated to worship Goddess Lakshmi and Dhanvantari.
Legend behind Dhanteras
According to a popular legend, Dhanteras puja has the power to defy death. Accordingly, long ago there lived a king named Hima. He had a son who according to astrology has a danger of untimely death – he dies due to a snake bite on his fourth day of getting married. But priests also suggest that by choosing a girl who is wise enough to know to do what to defy this, they can save their son from this untimely death.
According to their suggestions, King Hima finds a wise girl who is Dharma abiding and has the knowledge of Shastras. He gets his son married to her. On the fourth day, the wife was firm to save her husband. She gathers all the gold in her home and piles them. She prays to God and lights a lamp. Also, she fills her entire sleeping room and the home entrance with lamps so dazzling that they fill their light and kill the darkness.
Later, she starts singing kirtans and sharing stories to her husband to prevent him from falling asleep on that night. Meanwhile, Lord Yama who is on his way to fulfill his duty of taking away the life of Hima approaches the sleeping room. He gets confused with the dazzling gold and the lights of diyas all around.
Interestingly, he listens to the stories and the beautiful kirtans. He forgets why he came and thus keeps sitting listening to her devotional stories and songs. Meanwhile, the sun rises and the day changes. The muhurat where Yama has had to take Hima’s life passes away. Pleased with her devotion to saving her husband’s life and towards God, Lord Yama blesses Hima with a full life span. That day was Trayodashi of the Ashwayuja month. He also gives a boon that whoever lights a lamp on that Dhanteras day will be blessed with a long life and good health.
What to do on Dhanteras Puja day?
To invite wealth and health, here are some things to do on Dhanteras day:
- Deep clean your houses. If possible white-wash them. Whitewashing is a sign that invites health and happiness into homes. During whitewashing, many of the disease-causing germs are killed. This is why Hindus prefer whitewashing to welcome festival occasions or after-death ceremonies.
- Organize prayers, bhajans, and chanting at home. The mantras and slokas have divine vibes and they help generate positive energy into your home. This energy is nothing but the health giver and wealth secret.
- Worship Tulsi plant as it is another form of Goddess Lakshmi. Light a diya and chant Vishnu Sahasranaman or Lakshmi Ashototram and circumambulate the Tulsi plant to seek its medicinal and spiritual blessings.
- Perform prayers to Dhanwantari. Tell your children the greatness of Ayurveda and how potent it is to cure diseases without any side effects.
- Fasting is one auspicious practice on Dhanteras. People fast till the evening puja is done and have a light dinner after the puja. Some people take food on the next day when the sun arises.
- Light a Yama Deepam with cow ghee in your house and keep it lit throughout the night. This defies illnesses and boosts the health of family members.
- It is a sentiment in many Indian families to purchase new items on Dhanteras as a mark to invite newness into the house.
- Decorate your house with Diwali special colorful rangolis to welcome the positive vibes and appease Goddess Lakshmi.
- Get your house ready to celebrate Naraka Chaturdashi, Diwali, and Bhai Dooj that follow Dhanteras.
- In many places of India, cow worship is of importance at the Dhanteras festival. It is also a practice to worship cattle the day before Dhanteras, also called Vasubaras.
- Do you know that Dhanteras festival significance extends to Jainism too? It was on this day that Mahavira wanted to leave everything and start in the search of Light. Jains call this day as Dhanyateras.
Dhanwantari Jayanthi – Ayurveda Day
Keeping in the view that Dhanteras marks the origin of Dhanvantari from the cosmic milk ocean, the Indian Government declared Dhanteras as National Ayurveda Day. Thus, the Dhanteras festival also is significant for Ayurvedic practitioners. On this day, the Indian government conducts many programs at both national and international levels to promote the potential of Ayurveda.
Thus,
- World Ayurveda day date in 2021 is November 2, 2021, which is the same as Dhanteras 2021 date.
- World Ayurveda day date in 2022 is November 23rd, which is the same as Dhanteras 2022 date.
What to buy on Dhanteras?
Dhanteras is one of the auspicious muhurats according to Hinduism. You can buy or do the following things on Dhanteras:
- Start a new venture or business or any idea on this day for successful progress.
- Many people buy gold and silver as they are considered the forms of Goddess Lakshmi.
- Instead, you can also open a new savings account, recurring deposit, or a SIP to invite more prosperity on Dhanteras.
- Homeware and kitchen items are also other popular ideas to buy on Dhanteras. For added benefits, brass utensils are purchased.
- You can also buy the idols of Gods and Goddesses on Dhanteras. As Diwali puja needs new Ganesha and Lakshmi idols, purchasing them in gold, silver, brass, and or mud is suggested.
- Broom is another form of Goddess Lakshmi as per many people’s beliefs. Some families make it a point to buy a new broom or open a new one for use on Dhanteras.
- It is a belief to buy Gomti chakras and wrap them in yellow cloth and put them in the locker to invite prosperity.
- Also consider buying gold coins with Lakshmi figurines, silver puja items, conch shells, etc. all that are symbols of Goddess Lakshmi.
What not to buy on Dhanteras?
Purchasing black items, steel, aluminum, and iron items, plastic ones, sharp items, etc is to be avoided on Dhanteras.
As a matter of fact, you can also help the poor and or donate for a good cause on Dhanteras. Whatever good we do on this day manifolds itself. So why not do good for a cause and invite good karma that protects us and our family and also benefitting society? Happy Dhanteras to you and your family!