Dhanteras 2024: Invite Prosperity And Abundance!

Dhanteras 2024 is the time for you to welcome the shine of ornaments and the blessings of deities into your life. This festival holds great significance in the Hindu community for various reasons. Want to know the reason behind celebrating Dhanteras? Keep reading to learn about Dhanteras timing, its meaning, and how to celebrate it!

Dhanteras 2024 Date and Muhurat

Dhanteras 2024 Date: 29th October, 2024 (Tuesday)
Puja Muhurat Begins: 07:04 PM
Puja Muhurat Ends: 08:36 PM
Pradosh Kaal: 06:06 PM to 08:36 PM
Vrishabha Kaal: 07:04 PM to 09:04 PM

What is Dhanteras?

Dhanteras is an auspicious festival that welcomes wealth and fortune into your life. Well, the meaning of Dhanteras lies in its name itself. The two Sanskrit words, Dhan and Teras, come together to make the name of this festival. “Dhan” means money, whereas “Teras” means thirteenth. As a result, Dhanteras is the festival of wealth, celebrated on the thirteenth day of the Kartik month of the Krishna Paksha.

Dhanteras: Beginning Of Diwali

Furthermore, this festival marks the beginning of the festival of lights, Diwali, in the Hindu community. On Dhanteras, people pray to several deities and seek their blessings. People also ask for fortune and financial gain on this festival of wealth. Buying utensils, silver or gold coins, electronic gadgets, and many other things is considered auspicious and fortunate.

Significance of Dhanteras in Hinduism

The significance of Dhantrayodashi in Hinduism is neverending. Many Hindus across India worship Goddess Laxmi alongside Lord Ganesha and Lord Kuber on this festival. Goddess Laxmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth. Therefore, she showers her devotees with wealth and blessings.

Additionally, Maha Laxmi is very important in the celebration of this festival. The gods and the Asuras were fighting for Amrit. Therefore, they performed the Samudra Manthan in the divine ocean of milk. As a result, goddess Laxmi emerged out of the sea on the Trayodashi tithi. Therefore, people celebrate Dhanteras on the Trayodashi Tithi yearly to mark this auspicious event.

The Birth Of Dhanvantari

Moreover, Dhanteras also marks the birth of Dhanvantari. In Hinduism, Dhanvantari holds immense knowledge about medicine and Ayurveda. During the Samudra Mantan, Dhanvantri emerged from the sea. Therefore, on this special day, people pray to Lord Dhanvantari for good health for themselves and their families.

Also Read: Kali Chaudas 2024: Understanding The Significance And Rituals

Dhanteras 2024 Rituals

The festival of Dhanteras is a time to indulge in fun and religious activities with your family! Every region of India has a different way of celebrating this auspicious festival. So, to make Dhanteras 2024 even more special for you, let’s learn about various Dhanteras rituals:

1. Dhanteras Puja Preparations

One of the most auspicious parts of this festival is the Dhanteras Puja. Therefore, people put a lot of effort into preparing for the Puja. To prepare for this Puja, you should wake up early in the Brahma Muhurat.

Afterwards, take a bath to cleanse your body and mind. People across India decorate their houses to welcome the goddess Laxmi into their homes.

2. Welcoming Goddess Laxmi to your House

Just like you clean your house for the arrival of guests, you need to clean your house for the welcome of Mahalakshmi. Therefore, people decorate their houses with love and devotion for the goddess.

Devotees hang torans on their entrances and make rangolis to welcome the goddess of wealth to their homes. Furthermore, people also draw tiny footprints of Mahalaxmi using Kumkum or rice flour.

3. Lighting Diyas

Diyas are an essential part of many sacred Hindu rituals. Therefore, if you see the streets near your house lit up, know it’s time for Dhanteras. People light diyas and lamps to brighten their houses. More specifically, devotees light thirteen diyas to honour Goddess Laxmi, Lord Kuber and Yamaraj on this day.

This ritual is also known as Yamadeepam. Yamadeepam helps protect family members from untimely deaths and blesses them with Lord Yama’s blessings.

4. Laxmi Pujan

Goddess Laxmi blesses devotees who worship her on Dhanteras with immense wealth and fortune. Therefore, people gather with their families to pray to the Goddess of abundance. Devotees set up a flat surface and placed an idol or a photo of goddess Laxmi on it.

Furthermore, they offer flowers, incense sticks and prasad. People also worship cows in Southern India and prepare Naivedayam in Maharashtra to please the Goddess.

5. Dhanteras Vrat

Many devotees fast on this day as it is a holy Hindu ritual. This is because fasting is the simplest way to do an act of devotion for the Gods to seek their blessings. Therefore, devotees keep a daylong fast on Dhanteras and break it after performing Laxmi Pujan in the evening.

Then, they consume the prasad they offer to Goddess Laxmi. Furthermore, people also sing various bhajans and recite Mantras to receive divine blessings.

6. Buying New Things

Here comes the fun part of this festival! Dhanteras is the perfect opportunity to go shopping and benefit from it. How amazing is that? On this day, people bring silver and gold utensils to their homes.

Furthermore, buying brooms is also lucky on this day. People welcome harmony and fortune into their homes by bringing new things on this day. Many devotees also buy salt, coriander seeds, and utensils on this day.

Also Read: Margashirsha Purnima 2024: Significance, Rituals And Vrat Katha

Dhanteras 2024 Story

Our fun and exciting festivals are incomplete without the engaging stories behind them. The same goes for the festival of wealth, Dhanteras. Learning about the stories behind our festivals deepens our understanding of our culture and religion. So, without any further ado, let’s explore the exciting stories behind Dhanteras 2024!

1. Story of Mahalaxmi’s Stay on Earth

According to Hindu mythology, one day, Lord Vishnu and his wife, Goddess Laxmi, went to look at how things were on Earth. While on their tour, Lord Vishnu told Maa Laxmi not to fall for any temptations on Earth and not to look or go in the southern direction.

However, Goddess Laxmi’s curious nature made her look in that direction. She looked south and saw a field full of sugarcane. Maa Laxmi could not control her temptation, and as a result, she consumed a sugar cane. Upon learning about this, Lord Vishnu was disappointed and asked Mahalaxmi to spend twelve years on Earth. As a result, she had to stay on the sugarcane field for twelve years and help the farmer who owned the field.

In these twelve years, Goddess Laxmi showered blessings upon him, bringing wealth and fortune into his life. However, after twelve years, Lord Vishnu came to take his wife back. The farmer tried to convince Lord Vishnu not to do so but failed. Upon this, Goddess Laxmi told the farmer that she would return every year on the day of Dhanteras and give him blessings.

2. Story of Yamaraj

According to the legend, the story behind Dhanteras is that of a wife saving her husband from death. This story is about the son of King Hima. His horoscope said that he would die because of a snake bite after his marriage. Therefore, to prevent this, his wife lit up many diyas in front of their house and laid out her jewellery and all precious things.

Lord Yamaraj, the God of Death, visited their house to take the husband. However, upon reaching the entrance, he could not see anything. This was because of the bright shine of the diyas and ornaments. Therefore, Lord Yamaraj went back without taking the husband. Hence, people decorate their homes with diyas and buy new ornaments to gain protection from Lord Yama.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the Dhanteras Mantra Sanskrit?

The Dhanteras Mantra Sanskrit is Om Dhanvantraye Namah. Chanting this mantra brings prosperity and wealth to your house.

2. How many diyas to light on Dhanteras?

You should light thirteen diyas on Dhanteras. It is because these diyas represent Lord Kuber, Goddess Laxmi and Yamaraj. Placing these lamps at different locations will welcome blessings from these Gods to your home.

3. Which deity is worshipped on Dhanteras?

There is no particular deity to be worshipped on Dhanteras, but people seek blessings from various deities on this day. These include Mahalaxmi, Lord Ganesha, Lord Kuber, and Lord Yama.

4. What colour to wear on Dhanteras?

Wearing red and yellow is an important part of various religious and auspicious rituals in Hinduism. This is because these colours represent the divine feminine goddesses. Therefore, you can wear red and yellow on Dhanteras.