Dhanteras: What are the Significance and Celebrations related to Dhanteras?

Dhanteras or Dhan Treyodashi is the festival that officially begins the grand Diwali celebration that lasts for five days. Dhanteras is observed in the Hindu month of Kartik (October/November), on the auspicious thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha. The term “Dhan” in Dhanteras refers to prosperity and “Teras” refers to the thirteenth day in Hindu Calendar.

In this blog, we’ll share with you some interesting details regarding the festival and how it is celebrated across the country.

Dhanteras: Celebrations

Dhanteras festival is celebrated with utmost vigour and zeal. People make wishes for prosperity and well-being at Lakshmi Puja in the evening. Evil spirits are driven out by lighting lamps. People also sing bhajans and devotional songs to extol the virtues of Goddess Lakshmi, and Naivedya is offered in her adoration. It’s an uncommon tradition in Maharashtra to serve the goddess Lakshmi lightly pounded dry coriander seeds mixed with jaggery called naivedya.

To commemorate this auspicious day, homes and commercial spaces are renovated and decorated for the welcome of Goddess Laxmi. Doors are decorated with conventional Rangoli themes. Furthermore, tiny footprints are painted throughout the homes using vermilion powder and rice flour to depict her fervently anticipated entrance. Colourful lights are utilised to adorn residences, places of commerce, and other structures.

In villages, cattle are decorated and worshipped because they provide livestock for farmers. Cows are revered especially in the southernmost region of India since it is believed that they are the manifestation of the goddess Laxmi.

Significance

It is believed that on the day of Dhanteras, Goddess Laxmi appeared from the churning of the milk ocean (Samudra Manthan) and Lord Dhanvantri appeared with the nectar.

Therefore, on the eve of Dhanteras, devotees pray to Lord Dhanvantri and Goddess Lakshmi for their blessings to bring harmony and joy into their homes. Goddess Lakshmi is said to only enter a clean and tidy home in Hindu culture. Hence, people thoroughly clean and decorate their houses. A lot of people also worship Lord Yamaraj at night and pray to him for his blessings.

Dhanteras is also considered auspicious for purchasing cutlery, jewellery made of gold for ladies, or other metal-related purchases. According to popular belief, buying metals is supposed to bring new prosperity and good fortune.

Additionally, some people like to worship their primary source of money, for example, shopkeepers worship their place of business and farmers worship their highly ornamented cattle. 

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