Dhanteras: A commencement of 5-day long festival

Dhanteras is also known as Dhantrayodashi or Dhanvantari Trayodashi and Yamdeep. Dhanteras is the commencement of the great festival Diwali, the festival of lights. Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is a five days long festival. It falls in the Hindu lunisolar month of Kartik. It is one of the most popular festivals of Hinduism. Diwali symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”. The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi Pujan.

When Dhanteras/Dhantryodahi is celebrated?

Dhanteras is celebrated on Thrayodashi; two days before the Diwali; Dhanteras/Yama Deepam is celebrated. A deep filled with pure ghee, desi ghee, is lighted on this day.

The complete timing of five-day long Diwali celebration including Dhanteras is as follows:

Diwali/Deepavali is celebrated on Amavasya of the Hindu lunisolar month of Kartik.  It comes after twenty days of Dussehra, after the end of Sharadiya Navaratri. This festival is usually celebrated for five days.

On Thrayodashi; two days before the Diwali; Dhanteras/Yama Deepam is celebrated. A deep filled with pure ghee, desi ghee, is lighted

On Chaturdashi, one day before Diwali, Naraka Chaturdashi/Kali Chaudas/Hanuman Puja is celebrated. Five deeps, lamps, filled with vegetable oil are lighted.

On Amavasya of Kartik Month, Diwali or Deepavali is celebrated. On this day, Lakshmi Puja, Kali Puja, Sharda Puja, Kedar Gauri Vrat etc are performed.

On the very next day of Diwali, Govardhan Puja or Balipratipada is celebrated. It is also celebrated as a Gujarati New Year.

On the second day of Diwali, Bhai Dooj or Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated. Bhai Dooj is dedicated to the bond between sister and brother.  Some Hindu and Sikh craftsmen communities mark this day as Vishwakarma Puja. They perform maintenance in their work spaces and offer prayers.

 

Hence, Dhanteras is the kickstart of the five-day long Diwali celebrations that is followed by Narak Chaturdashi, Diwali, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj.

What are Other Names of Dhanteras?

Dhanteras is also known as Dhantrayodashi and Dhanvantari Trayodashi. People consider it as an auspicious day to buy gold, new utensils, Lakshmi-Ganesha idols and other home appliances. Dhanteras is celebrated on the thirteenth day of the Hindu month of Kartik, two days before Diwali that comes after twenty days of Dussehra, after the end of Sharadiya Navaratri.

 

What is the Legend behind Dhanteras Celebration?

There are mainly three legends behind the celebration of Dhanteras. So, it is celebrated in three forms such as Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi, Dhanvantri Trayodashi and Yamdeepam. The legends are as follows:

1. Emergence of Maa Lakshmi and Kuber

The Legend behind Dhanteras Celeberation is the emergence of Maa Lakshmi and Lord Kuber. It is considered that on the day of Dhantrayodashi, Maa Lakshmi along with Lord Kubera emerged out of the Milky Ocean during the Sagar Manthan (churning of the milky ocean). Maa Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and Kuber is the god of wealth. Hence, both of them are worshipped on the auspicious day of Trayodashi.

2. Dhanvantri Jayanti

The day of Dhanteras is also celebrated as Dhanvantri Jayanti, since it is the birth anniversary of Lord Dhanvantri. Lord Dhanvatri is considered the god of Ayurveda who imparted ‘the wisdom of Ayurveda’ for the betterment of mankind, and to help rid it of the suffering of disease.

According to Hindu traditions, Lord Dhanvantari emerged on this day holding a Kalasha (pot) full of Amrit (nectar of immortality) in one hand and the sacred text about Ayurveda in the other hand. He is considered to be the Vaidya of Gods.

It is a folktale that once Devatas and Asuras (gods and demons) churned the Milky Ocean. At the end of this Sagar Manthan (Churning of ocean), Lord Dhanvantari emerged with the nectar of immortality (Amrit). In his honour this day is celebrated.

3. Yama Deep

There is another legend about Dhanteras. It revolves around the 16-year-old son of King Hima. According to a horoscope, he was predetermined to die due to snakebite on the fourth day of his marriage.

His wife determined to save the life of her husband. On the appointed day, she illuminated the entire house with numerous deeps (lamps). She also placed a heap of gold, silver coins and ornaments in front of their bedroom. Throughout the night, she sang songs and told stories.

Yam, the god of death, came as a serpent but the lights of the deeps (lamps) and the dazzle of the coins and ornaments made him blind. He spent the complete night listening to the sweet songs. He went away peacefully, next morning. So, Dhanteras is also called Yama deep. Some people of Hindu belief also perform deep-dan on this day. Deep dan is referred to the donation of lamps.

How is Dhanteras celebrated?

 

Dhanteras is celebrated as Lakshmi Puja.  Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evenings when earthen deeps (lamps of clay) are lit. Prayers, bhajans or devotional songs in praise of Maa Lakshmi are sung.  Prasad or Naivedya of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess.

Three forms of Maa Lakshmi –MahaLakshmi, Maha Kaali and Maha Saraswati are worshipped. Maa Durga is offered with the prasad of traditional sweets. Lords Kuber and Ganesha are also worshipped on the day of Dhanteras.

There exists a peculiar custom in Maharashtra. People in Maharashtra lightly pound dried coriander seeds (Dhane in Marathi) with jaggery and offer this mixture as Naivedhya.

 

On Dhanteras, homes are thoroughly cleansed and whitewashed. Lord Dhanvantari, the god of health and Ayurveda, is also worshiped in the evening.

The main entrance of the house is decorated with colourful lights. Traditional motifs of Rangoli designs are made to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. Small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the house. It indicates long-awaited arrival of Maa Lakshmi.

On the night of Dhanteras, deeps (lamps), filled with desi ghee, are ritually kept burning all through the night in honour of Maa Lakshmi and Lord Dhanvantari.

Tradition of the day of Dhanteras:

There is a tradition of buying brass, silver, steel utensils on the day of Dhanteras. It is believed that buying utensils on this day brings wealth and prosperity.

On this day, in the evening, lamps are lit in the main entrance and courtyard of the house. Because from this day the festival of Diwali begins.

In the evening on Dhanteras, a deep (lamp) filled with desi ghee is also lit in the name of Lord Yama. It is believed that by doing this Yamdev, the god of death, is pleased and protects the members of the family from premature death.

What to buy on Dhanteras?

Buying new things like gold, silver, brass is considered auspicious on this day. Along with this, buying coriander and broom is also auspicious on this day.

 

Why is shopping auspicious on Dhanteras?

According to the beliefs, Lord Dhanvantari had descended from the churning of the milky ocean on Kartik Krishna Trayodashi with the nectar urn in his hands, so buying utensils on the day of Dhanteras is considered auspicious. Brass is the metal of Lord Dhanvantari, so, a person’s health remains fine on buying brass utensils on this auspicious day.

 

National Ayurveda Day:

The Indian ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, announced its decision to observe Dhanteras, as the “National Ayurveda Day”. It was first observed on 28 October 2016.  Generally, Gujarati families enjoy a meal of daal baath and malpura to ring in the new year

Health

Good health is the greatest wealth. If there is no healthy body, then what is the use of Maya? Perhaps this idea was realized by our sages ages ago. Dhanteras is the festival of awakening between good health and material prosperity, which is celebrated every year on the Trayodashi of Kartik Krishna Paksha. In spiritual beliefs, this time, which gives jumbish two days before the greatness of Deepawali, is not only a symbol of wealth, but also a symbol of the rich heritage of the medical world. Or Kaal is also famous as the awakening day of Yakshas and Yakshinis.

Yaksha-Yakshini are said to be the controllers of those luminous elements of the gross world, which the world considers as wealth. Lakshmi and Kubera are considered as Yakshini and Yaksha. Yaksha-Yakshini is said to be that position of energy, which controls our way of living. Remember that the enjoyment of wealth and splendor is not possible without better health, so for the enjoyment of opulence, the concept of Dhanvantari appeared spontaneously over a period of time, which seems to be very scientific.

It is very auspicious to bring coriander at home on Dhanteras.

It is very auspicious to bring coriander on Dhanteras. It is considered a symbol of increase of wealth. On the day of Dhanteras, buy whole coriander seeds worth Rs 5 and offer them to Goddess Lakshmi and some grains should be sown. It is believed that if coriander plants come out after sowing it, then it is believed that the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi will remain in your house throughout the year.

Dhanteras is the festival of balance of wealth and health

Dhanteras is one such and only great festival in which importance has been given to health along with material prosperity. Worshiping Dhanvantari on this day along with Lakshmi and Kuber teaches us how to live. Remember that the enjoyment of wealth and splendor is not possible without better health. Therefore, the concept of Dhanvantari, which appeared over a period of time for the enjoyment of opulence, seems to be quite scientific.

Do not buy these things on Dhanteras

It is considered very auspicious to buy gold, silver and brass things on Dhanteras. But some special things should not be bought on this day. It is believed that this leads to loss of money. Do not buy plastic, aluminum items on Dhanteras. The purchase of sharp things should also be avoided on this day.

 

Note: Facts have been taken from various Sanskrit Texts, articles and wikipedia.