Dhanteras, also called as Dhana Trayodashi, is celebrated 2 days before the main festival of Diwali. It falls in the month of Kartik on the 13th day of the dark fortnight; To commemorate the festival of wealth, people worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber, the treasurer of wealth. It is also the day when one worships Dhanvantari, the teacher of all physicians and the founder of Ayurveda for good health. It is on this day, that the first lamp venerating the festival of Diwali is lit in the morning.
Dhanteras, is associated with shopping! 😉 Interesting, isn’t? Shopping on this day is significant as it is associated with wealth and prosperity. People buy utensils, new clothes, invest in gold or buy gold or silver jewellery/ coins on this day, as it is the bringer of wealth.
All the mandatory cleaning and redecorating of homes are to be finished one day before Dhanteras, as people start decorating the entrances of their homes, shops and offices with beautiful rangolis and decorate the doors with flowers.
People worship Goddess Lakshmi and also the things that they buy on this day in an extensive puja.
There are three major myths associated with Dhanteras and the celebrations surrounding it.
The first and majorly accepted legend is that associated with king Hima’s son. According to the horoscope of the young 16-year old prince, he was predicted to die on the 4th day of his wedding by a snake bite. The prince’s wife, to avoid the death of her husband, did not allow him to sleep, and instead sang melodious songs night long after laying all her jewellery, ornaments and a huge heap of coins of gold and silver and then lit the room brightly with infinite lamps all around the room and the entrance. When the god of death, Yama, assuming the guise of a serpent came to take away the prince’s life, instead got bedazzled by the lights and the reflection of lights from the jewellery and ornaments, thereby being barred from entry. Instead, he climbed up the heap of coins, and spent the night listening to the songs of the young smart wife, leaving quietly in the morning.
Since then this day is also known as the day of “Yamadeepdaan” with lamps being lightened throughout the night in deferential respect to the god of Death.
The second myth is to welcome the Lord Dhanavantri, the founder of Ayurveda. During the famous churning of cosmic ocean for elixir, along with many jewels, minerals, and other precious things, came Lord Dhanavantri, holding the jar of elixir in his hands. He is the physician of Gods, and he brought with him the knowledge of “Ayurveda”- which literally means “Ayu- Life” and “Veda- knowledge” to this material world. It is to commemorate his knowledge and health, that one lights an earthen lamp on the threshold of the entrances and cleans the home- at every nook and corner as most of the infections and diseases are spread only due to unhygienic and dirty places that we live in.
Also, as per the orders of Lord Yama, “If people worship God Dhanvantri on the day of Dhanteras by lighting lamps on their thresholds, then untimely death can never touch them.”
The third and the most wide accepted legend is that of the birth of Goddess Lakshmi during churning of the Cosmic Ocean, the famous Samudra Manthan, Along with various poisons, also Halahala- the most dangerous poison of all times, rare herbs, gems, divine nymphs, Varuni, Cow, Elephants, horses, flowering tree, bow, moon, Lord Dhanavantari, conch, Jyestha- the goddess of misfortune, umbrella, sleep and the wish granting tree- Kalpavriksha emerged from the churning the ocean milk.
To welcome the goddess Lakshmi in this world, Dhanteras is celebrated by bringing in gold or silver coins or jewellery or other means of “wealth” in to our homes.
To indicate Goddess’ arrival, small footprints with vermilion and rice flour are drawn at the entrances and the Puja rooms.
By: Archa Dave
