|
The first day of the 5
days of Diwali is the Dhanteras.
According to the Hindu
calendar, Dhanteras falls on the
13th lunar day of Krishna Paksha in
the month of Kartik, i.e. October
or early November. Hence, it is also
known as Dhanvantari Trayodashi. In
Hindi, the word ‘Dhan’ refers to wealth
or money. Therefore, it is a tradition
to worship goddess Lakshmi she is
the goddess of wealth and good luck.
All of the merchants of the nation
celebrate Dhanteras with great enthusiasm
so that their business booms in the
coming year bringing hefty profits.
For them, Dhanteras is the New Year’s
time for their business. Houses and
market places wear a festive look
on the day and people go on a heavy
shopping spree for the auspicious
festivity day.
Mythological Background of Dhanteras
There are two popular legends related
to the festival of Dhanteras. One
relates to Lord Dhanwantari whereas
the other refers to the legenbd of
Yamadeep Daan Ritual. According to
the first story, Indians believe that
it was on this day that the incarnation
of Lord Vishu called Dhanvantari emerged
from the churning of ocean. This God,
known as ‘physician of Gods’ carried
a jar of elixir or ‘amrit’ in his
hand. Actually, both the Gods and
demons did the churning of ocean.
There was a war between them that
which group would be able to snatch
the jar of ‘amrit’. Hence, this Lord
is worshipped on the day of Dhanteras
in order to bring long life, good
luck and wealth in every family.
The other legend narrates the story
of King Hima and his 16-year old son.
The king’s son was doomed to die of
snakebite on the fourth day of his
marriage. To save her husband, the
wife of the son made a plan. She lit
the lamps and illumined the whole
room and placed heaps of gold and
silver at the entrance. When the death
God arrived in disguise of a serpent,
he was dazzled with light and he could
not enter the room. Thus, the king’s
son was saved. Hence, on this day
people keep lamps and the tradition
of Yamadeep Daan has become popular
all over India.
offers you brief information on Dhanteras,
the first day of Diwali. Stay connected
to the website for more interesting
information on Diwali.
|
