Dhanteras

Dhanteras, also called Dhanatrayodashi, is the first day of the five-day Diwali festival and is widely observed by Hindus, as well as by Sikhs and Jains, in India and among Indian communities abroad. The name combines the words for wealth, “Dhan,” and the thirteenth lunar day, “Teras” or Trayodashi. The date falls on the 13th day of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik, with the exact day varying each year and region. The occasion is regarded as an auspicious time to invite prosperity and well-being and signals the formal start of the Diwali festive season.

Rituals on Dhanteras emphasize Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Kubera, the god of wealth, often accompanied by Dhanvantari, the sage-physician associated with health and longevity. Homes and shops are cleaned and decorated, and people light small oil lamps or diyas to dispel darkness and invite divine blessings. A puja is typically performed in the evening, focusing on wealth, health, and prosperity for the coming year. It is common for households to purchase new merchandise, and many people buy gold, silver, or other valuables as a sign of auspicious wealth, alongside utensils and household items.

Regional variations exist in emphasis and practices, but the central theme is the invocation of prosperity and the start of the Diwali shopping and celebratory period. The day is also linked to mythologies surrounding Dhanvantari emerging with the elixir of life during the churning of the ocean. Dhanteras remains a major, widely observed festival moment that precedes Lakshmi Puja and the larger Diwali celebrations.