This festival has great importance in the mercantile community of Western India. People renovate and decorate their houses, stores, and shops. Entrances are decorated with traditional garlands and rangoli which is believed to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Small footprints of Goddess Laxmi are drawn with rice flour and vermillion powder to indicate her arrival. People buy precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, start new ventures and also buy properties such as land and houses which are believed to shower their divine blessings on the household. Pujas are performed in the evening by lighting earthen diyas to drive away evil spirits. Aartis or devotional songs are sung praising Goddess Lakshmi and sweets and fruits are offered to her.
Dhanteras is an important Hindu festival in India. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the five days Diwali celebration. This festival is also known as "Dhantrayodashi" or "Dhanvantari Triodasi". The term 'dhan' means wealth. On this auspicious day, people worship Goddess Laxmi for wealth, prosperity, and well-being. People even buy precious metals like gold, and silver as it signifies good luck. Every Hindu celebrates this festival with lots of pomp and enthusiasm. As per the Hindu calendar, the festival falls on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha of the Kartik month.
Dhanteras hold special significance for the business community due to the customary purchases of precious metals on this day. However, the festival also has a mythological importance. As the legendary story goes, once, the sixteen-year-old son of King Hima was doomed to die of a snake bite on the fourth day of his marriage as per his horoscope. To combat such adversity, his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid out gold ornaments and lots of silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's boudoir and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. She, also went on telling stories and singing songs so as to prevent her husband fall asleep. The glittering outburst from the gold heaps blinded the eyes of Lord Yama, as he approached to bite King Hima’s son in the guise of a serpent. In spite of trying hard, the unending songs & tales of the wife and above all the brilliant lights prevented him to enter the Prince’s chamber. So, the serpent kept on waiting and with the crack of dawn, he had to leave quietly. Thus the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death. Since then, this day of Dhanteras came to be known as the day of "Yamadeepdaan" and lamps are kept burning throughout the night in reverential adoration to Yama, the god of Death.
Thus, make this day special by sending pious gifts so as to shower prosperity, fortitude, and contentment on the lives of the recipients in India.
Dhanteras is the time to develop spirituality and family bonding. Family members get together at the ancestral home on the day. Grandparents and parents wait for the day as sons, daughters, and grandchildren arrive from distant places. Apart from pujas and following various customs, preparing delicious sweets and dishes, gifting, and spending quality time together are some of the essential aspects of this celebration.
