Dhanteras Festival
Dhanteras is celebrated by the Hindus all over India. Dhanteras festival has got its name from two words ‘Dhan’ meaning wealth and ‘Teras’ that means thirteenth. Dhanteras is observed on the 13th day of Krishna Paksh in the month of Karthik It marks the beginning of the five day Diwali celebrations. It takes place two days before Diwali to honor Dhanyantari, an incarnation of Vishnu. Dhanteras Festival, also known as Dhantrayodashi or Dhanwantari Triodasi.
On this day, homes and offices or the places of business are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colourful with beautiful traditional designs of Rangoli to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.As a symbol of the arrival of Goddess Laxmi small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses.
Small diyas of clay are lighted through the night to keep the evil spirits away.
The festival of Dhanteras is considered to be auspicious for purchase of gold, silver and any other new article. On this day devotees buy new jewellery, car, even homes and dates for marriages are also fixed. In the evening “Lakshmi-Puja” is performed singing “Bhajans”-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi and “Naivedya” made of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess. In villages cattles are considered sacred and incarnation of Laxmi therefore on this day Cows are adorned and worshiped with great devotion
The son of King Hima was doomed to die on the fourth day of his marriage by snakebite. 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 and lighted lots of lamps all over the place and she went on telling stories and singing songs. When Yamraj, the God of death arrived there in the guise of a serpent, the dazzle of those brilliant lights made his eyes blind and he could not enter the prince’s chamber. Since then this day of Dhanteras came to be known as the day of “Yamadeepdaan” and people buy some item of jewellery and keep a lamp lit nearby all night.