New Delhi: The five-day Diwali or Deepavali festival has begun, with today being Dhanteras. Dhanteras is considered one of the most significant festivals in Hindu culture. According to mythological beliefs, Goddess Lakshmi came out from the ocean during the Samudra Manthan on this day. In this article, let us look at how Dhanteras is celebrated around India.
Dhanteras 2024: How does India celebrate the festival?
India is a country with different traditions and rituals. Every festival is celebrated with fervour. Dhanteras holds a lot of meaning for Hindus as it is the beginning of the Deepavali festival. Dhanteras is observed uniquely around the country.
1. On this day, people follow the age-old tradition of buying and giving metal items like gold and silver to loved ones.
2. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on this day, aimed at attracting wealth and prosperity in their lives.
3. In the West, lively fairs resound with music and dance in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Business people open new accounting books. Homes are adorned with lovely rangolis. In Gujarat, families enjoy a meal of daal baath and malpua.
4. In the East, West Bengal and Odisha celebrate with sweet exchanges and gift-giving. On this day, new items are also purchased.
5. In Central India, Madhya Pradesh, people observe unique customs and rituals to invite prosperity and well-being into their homes.
6. In South India, in Tamil Nadu, women make marundu, meaning ‘medicine’, on Dhanatrayodashi, the eve of Naraka Chaturdashi. Marundu is offered during the prayer and eaten early on Naraka Chaturdashi before sunrise. Many families hand over the medicine recipes to their daughters and daughters-in-law. The marundu is consumed to eliminate the imbalance of tridoshas in the body.
7. In many parts of the country, farmers adorn and worship cattle as their main source of income.
8. People set lights, offering offerings at the base of a tulsi plant. Diyas are placed in front of the doorways of homes, and this offering to Yama, God of Death, to avert an untimely death at the time of the festival.
Dhanteras has changed meaning in modern times, and it is now known as the most auspicious day for buying gold, silver, other metals, and automobiles.
