Dhanteras Festival

|Celebrations |

Dhan Teras falls on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Kartik (October-November), i.e. two days before Diwali. The word "Dhan" means wealth. God Yama is worshipped on this day to provide prosperity and well being.

Legend: According to legend, when the gods and demons churned the ocean for Amrut or nectar, Dhanavantri(the physician of the gods and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir.

Another Legend : A very interesting story about this day is of the sixteen year old son of King Hima. As per his horoscope he was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage.

On that particular fourth day of his marriage his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid all the ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's boudoir and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. And she went on telling stories and singing songs.

When Yam, the god of Death arrived there in the guise of a Serpent his eyes got blinded by that dazzle of those brilliant lights and he could not enter the Prince's chamber. So he climbed on top of the heap of the ornaments and coins and sat there whole night listening to the melodious songs. In the morning he quietly went away.

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 Yam, the god of Death.

Celebrations of Dhanteras Festival

To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses.Lamps are kept burning all through the nights.

Believing this day to be auspicious women purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils. New dhan or some form of precious metal is bought as a sign of good luck.

"Lakshmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. "Bhajans"-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung.

In villages cattles are adorned and worshipped by farmers as they form the main source of their income. In south cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they are adorned and worshipped on this day.

There is a peculiar custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry coriander seeds with jaggery and offer as Naivedya.

Many religious Maharashtrians fervently believe that the food cooked in their homes should be fit to be offered to god first as an act of thanksgiving.

Elaborate sweets and savouries are made specifically as naivedya or food offered ritualistically to a deity at home or to a deity worshipped on a specific festival. Fragrant food contained in beautiful silver pots or arranged on banana leaves are placed before idols at home or in temples while sacred chants are

recited by devotees.

Together with the naivedya, a holy mixture made of equal parts of honey, ghee, sugar, yoghurt and milk is also offered.

Spoonfuls of this mixture called panchamrit as well as holy water scented with tulsi leaves are distributed to devotees to purify the body and the mind before partaking of the naivedya.