Revisiting the Legends and Rituals of Dhanteras

By: Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Dhanteras, also known as ‘Dhanatrayodash’ is a festival celebrated by Hindus. On this day, people purchase utensils and jewellery to bring good luck. The word is derived from ‘Dhan’ meaning wealth and ‘Teras’ which means thirteen. Dhanteras is a major Hindu festival celebrated two days prior to the main Diwali festival. It is celebrated in the month of Kartik on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight, commonly called Kartik Amavasya. It is celebrated fervently throughout India. It is considered auspicious to buy gold, silver ornaments or steel utensils on Dhanteras. Lord Kuber and Goddess Lakshmi are worshipped on the festival of dhanteras. On the night of Dhanteras, diyas (lamps) are ritually kept burning all through the night in honor of Lakshmi and Dhanvantari. It is the seventh month according to the Bengali, Maithili and Nepali calendars; Whereas, according to the Tamil calendar, it is the eighth month. Dhanteras is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight, also known as Krishna Paksha. On the next day of Dhanteras, Choti Diwali is celebrated and then on the third day, Diwali is celebrated.
Any purchase on Dhanteras is believed to bring prosperity and considered a symbol of wealth. The festival has religious significance as the rituals performed are related to Hindu Goddess and mythology.Like other Indian festivals, this day is also linked to famous Hindu mythological stories. There’s an interesting story behind Dhanteras, for which people worship Lord Yamaraja on this day. As per one of the popular stories, it is believed that the horoscope of a king’s son predicted that he will die on the fourth day of marriage after getting bitten by a snake. On the 4th day of his marriage, his wife decided to turn the fate around. She made sure her husband didn’t sleep, as she narrated stories to keep him awake. To lure the snake away, she laid out all the ornaments and coins at the entrance in a heap. It is believed when the God of Death came in disguise of a snake, he was blinded by all the dazzling jewellery and coins. This way the serpent couldn’t enter the prince’s chamber and also got hooked to the wife’s stories and songs. 
There is another interesting story which is very popular is the one featuring Lord Dhanvantari, who is the physician of the Gods and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who came out of an ocean that is believed to be churned by the Gods and demons on the day of Dhanteras.
A Hindu festival of wealth and prosperity must entail the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. Also, Lord Dhanvantari, the God of Ayurveda and good health is worship to provide health and longevity. The rituals are mostly performed in the evening in the presence of every house member and at the traditional place of worship. The rituals are mostly performed in the evening at the usual place of worship of the house. Some also traditionally worship, Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of medicine and health. He is believed to bestow the family with good health and prosperity.
Dhanteras is absolutely important festival of Hindus. It is not only a festival to celebrate prosperity and good health but also an occasion to make new ventures and financial investments.