Dhanteras- a Festival of Wealth, Health & Spirituality

India is a nation of varied festivals which are celebrated in numerous parts in numerous forms. On the 13th day of Krishna paksh- the dark phase of the moon in the month of either Kartik or Ashvin the festival of Dhanteras is celebrated and marks a launch of the Deepavali festivities with a new zeal.

Dhanteras & Legends

Beyond this is the historical and mythological significance attached to the Dhanteras day and brushing up the memory of reading the legends or hearing one can be shared with family & friends as part of promoting our culture to the next generation. Dhanteras revelries commence in the morning with cleaning homes, decoration with flowers, lights and Rangoli, just like an advance preparation for Deepavali around the corner.

Families come together for Dhanteras pooja rituals and prayers are offered to Dhanvantri-God of medicine, Goddess Lakshmi and God Kuber; both for wealth. Wealth for a balanced jubilant life is the one with good health & wealth together. As per scriptures God Dhanvantri is believed to have appeared during the Samundra manthan- churning of Sheer Sagar- the Milky-ocean with an Amrit pot in his hand on the Krishna Trayodashi, hence Dhanteras on the same day is believed to be the birth anniversary of Lord Dhanvantri.

Additionally, Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the Manthan holding a pot of gold coins as often depicted in paintings and other visuals. According to religious texts Lord Kuber is the Lord of Yakshas who protects the wealth. As it is the first day of Diwali festivities Goddess Lakshmi is also worshipped along with Lord Kuber & Lord Dhanvantri. In the evening, a Diya referred as the Yama Deepam, with 4 wicks is lit as an offering to Lord Yama. It signifies removal of qualms and glitches!

Dhanteras- a Festival of Wealth, Health & Relationships
The word Dhanteras translates as wealth on the 13th day of the moonless fortnight so the God of health Dhanvantri, Goddess of wealth Lakshmi and Lord Kuber are worshipped. The wealth can be spiritual or material! Additionally the ‘wealth of prosperous relationships’ is of great importance in our society of crumbling families so one can share feelings and friendship thoughts through Dhanteras messages even if a get-together is not possible. Some Dhanteras quotes are beautifully worded as ‘Dhanteras illuminates the paths of perceptions, blissful moments and dreams bringing one to the path of wealth and prosperity’. Find an appropriate quote and circulate this Dhanteras through the traditional greeting cards, social media status or story or post on Instagram or Facebook or simply Whatsapp. This can contribute to preserving our traditions with modern technology that draws interests of the users! Further one can add 1-2 minutes video of the local market or store activity at the time around Dhanteras mentioning name of the area & town.

Dhanteras Today

Today it is associated with shopping and spending in the platinum, gold and silver category- jewellery, coins or utensils too with stores advertising and offering discounts for the unique Dhanteras day that is propitious and brings further affluence. In Punjab, along with the above customs – praying, buying, lighting and eating special food, the farming community express thankfulness for their cattle. Sharp objects, plastics, black clothes & shoes, iron utensils, oil and glassware are inauspicious purchases on the Dhanteras day. Local temples and gurudwaras are beautifully lit up on Dhanteras especially the Golden Temple and the entire city of Amritsar. People book gold and silver jewellery in advance to avoid the over-crowding and amplified demand on the Dhanteras day itself! The discounts on ‘making- charges’ and more are noticeable.

Local sweet-shops offer a variety of scrumptious mithais- traditional sugar or jaggery or sugar free advertising as ‘Strike gold with our mithais” followed by the local restaurants & grocery shops. Newspapers and audio/ visual platforms, You tube, television channels come up with legends attached to Dhanteras.

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