Dhanteras marks the beginning of the celebrations of Diwali festival. Also called Dhantrayodashi, Hindus worship Lord Kubera and Goddess Laxmi or the God and Goddess of wealth on this day. In Hindi, ‘dhan‘ refers to ‘wealth’, and it is also believed that goddess Lakshmi came out of the ocean during the churning of the milky sea with a pot of gold and wealth on this day. It is for this reason that it’s considered auspicious buy clothes, gadgets, and jewellery on Dhanteras, which will be celebrated on November 13.

Goddess Lakshmi is again worshipped after two days on Diwali. This time, with Lord Ganesh.

According to Drikpanchang, Dhanteras puja should be done during the pradosh kaal which starts after sunset. The best time to start the puja on Dhanteras during pradosh kaal is during sthir lagna. Sthir means fixed. During this auspicious period, it is said that goddess Lakshmi stays inside the home; hence it is the best time for Dhanteras Pujan. Vrishabha Lagna is considered as sthir and mostly overlaps with pradosh kaal during Diwali festivity.

Significance

According to the popular legend of Samudra Manthan, on the day of Dhantrayodashi, Goddess Lakshmi emerged out of the ocean during sea churning. Therefore, Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on the day of Trayodashi.

According to another legend, when the Devas and the Asuras performed samudra manthan for Amrita, which was considered as the divine nectar of immortality, Dhanvantari, the God of medicine and one of the many incarnations of Vishnu, emerged out carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras. Hence, Dhanteras is also celebrated as Dhanvantari Jayanti.

Rituals

On Dhanteras, people worship Goddess Lakshmi for a prosperous life and well being. In the evening hours, after getting rid of all waste and cleaning the house thoroughly, a lamp is lit to mark the sanctity of the house. Devotional hymns are sung eulogizing the Goddess of wealth and sweets and fruits are offered to her.

Hindus worship Lord Kuber as he is considered a treasurer of wealth and bestower of riches, along with Goddess Lakshmi on Dhanteras.

Day, Date, Time and Muhurat

According to the panchang of Krishna Paksha Muhurat of Kartik Mass, Dhanteras Puja will be observed on November 13 i.e, Friday. The auspicious time for Dhanteras Puja would be between 05:28 pm and 05:59 pm. It is believed that on this day Goddess Lakshmi arrives with the God of wealth– Lord Kuber. So, you can also perform Kuber Pujan and Lakshami Pujan on Dhantryodashi. Lakshmi Puja should be done in Pradosh Kaal between 05:28 pm and 08:07 pm after sunset.

Important date and time

n             Dhanteras Date – Friday, 13 November 2020

n             Dhanteras Pujan Muhurta – from 05:25 pm to 05:59 pm.

n             Pradosh period – 05:25 pm to 08:06 pm.

n             Taurus period – 05:33 pm to 07:29 pm.

n             Trayodashi Date Start – 12 November 2020 at 09:30.

Why utensils, gold and new clothes are bought on Dhanteras

It is believed that on the day of Trayodashi of Kartik Krishna Paksha, Dhanvantari appeared with the churning of the ocean. He has an urn full of nectar in his hands. Lord Dhanvantari appeared with the urn, so it is a tradition to buy utensils on the day of Dhanteras. It is believed to have good luck, splendor and health benefits. On the day of Dhanteras, Kubera, the god of wealth, is worshiped.

Choti Diwali Or

Naraka Chaturdashi

Choti Diwali or Choti Deepavali is celebrated a day before Diwali or Lakshmi Pooja and the festival is known by various names – Naraka Chaturdashi, Kali Chaudas, Roop Chaudas  or Naraka Nivaran Chaturdashi. It is celebrated as the second day of the five-day long Diwali festival. It is believed that on this day, asura or demon Narakasura was killed by Krishna, Lord Vishnu’s avatar.

n             On Choti Diwali, a bitter berry called kareet is crushed under the feet. This is symbolic of killing the demon Narakasura who symbolises evil. So the crushing of bitter berry indicates removal of ignorance.

n             It is believed that on Naraka Chaturdashi, Lord Krishna took oil bath after killing demon Narakasura. The day is thus considered important to take ritualistic oil bath before the sunrise.

n             On Choti Diwali’s morning, age-old ritual of Abhyang Snan, a holy bath taken before the sunrise, is performed. Devotees apply an ubtan of rose and ganga water and sesame oil on the body before taking a bath. The day is thus referred as Roop Chaudas or Roop Chaturdashi.

n             After the sunset on Choti Diwali, the home and the porch is decorated with diyas and candles to welcome Goddess Lakshmi.

Puja Timing and Shubh Mahurat

The Naraka Chaturdashi is also known as Choti Diwali. This day is celebrated a day before the festival of Diwali. This year, it will be observed on the same day that is November 14. The shubha mahurat of Abhyanga Snan (Diwali bathing ritual) will begin from 5:23 am to 6:43 am.