Dhanteras, usually regarded as the festival of prosperity, will come just 2 days before Diwali, the festival of lights. While Diwali this year will be celebrated on November 1, Dhanteras will be observed on October 29. On this day, a large number of Hindus pay obeisance to Dhanvantari, who is regarded as the god of Ayurveda. Mythology has it that he carried the nectar, the passport to infinite life called Amrit.
However, perhaps a larger number of people associate the day with the goddess of wealth and prosperity Lakshmi. To honour the goddess, they traditionally buy in the evening hours gold and silver and/or new utensils made of metal. Every year, gold remains out of reach of most Indians. This year, especially, gold prices are at an all-time high perhaps taking the yellow metal even out of reach of most.
What Indians prefer on Dhanteras: Gold and silver
Precious metals: Gold is certainly the item of first choice to buy. Gold jewellery, gold coins, gold bars – all are purchased on the evening of Dhanteras. Accordingly, most big jewellers go on a promotional overdrive to net as much sales as possible during Dhanteras and Diwali.
This year, silver has perhaps outpaced gold in terms of prices. On October 24, silver created history when prices sailed past the psychologically crucial Rs 1 lakh mark and hit Rs 1,02,200 per kg. The price of silver in India is dependent on the price of the metal globally as well as the INR-USD exchange rate.
Utensils, appliances… broom
Often it is seen that those who can ill afford gold and silver, settle for metal utensils. These utensils are typically made of brass and copper and even stainless steel. The other significance for utensils is that they are supposed to bestow abundance in the domestic kitchen. It is significant to note that mostly go out to do the shopping of Dhanteras. Some people also use the promotions to purchase home appliances and entertainment electronic items. Some people also buy vehicles. A significant trend is that those who have limited amounts to spend, also buy brooms as an instrument to sweep away financial difficulties. Two more points to remember are people stay away from buying anything black, a colour considered inauspicious and they don’t buy sharp objects and glassware. Also, most avoid repayment of loans on this day as well as lending money to others.
