November 5 marks the first day of Diwali celebrations in 2018. Today, people will observe the auspicious day of Dhanteras also known as Dhantrayodashi. Dhanteras will be followed by Choti Diwali on November 6 and Lakshmi puja or Badi Diwali on November 7. The festival of Dhanteras is celebrated on the 13th day of Krishna Paksha and a day before that Govatsa Dwadeshi is observed where Hindu devotees worship sacred Hindu animal cow. Let us know more about the significance and importance of celebrating Dhanteras and auspicious timings to perform Dhanteras puja. Dhanteras Images & HD Wallpapers for Free Download Online: Wish Diwali 2018 With Beautiful GIF Greetings & Messages.

Story & Significance of Celebrating Dhanteras

According to legends, on the day of Dhantrayodashi, Goddess Lakshmi came out of the ocean during the churning of the Milky Sea. Hence, Goddess Lakshmi along with Lord Kubera, God of wealth, is worshipped on the auspicious day of Trayodashi. On this day, devotees welcome Goddess Lakshmi to take shelter in their home. In Sanskrit, ‘Dhan’ means wealth and hence, Dhanteras is considered extremely auspicious to make new purchases, especially gold and silver and new utensils. Nowadays, people not only invest in jewellery but also purchase other household items like refrigerator, TV, mobile phones and other gadgets. During the Diwali season, there are massive sales ongoing in retail stores plus on various e-commerce portals. Dhanteras 2018 Offers: Get Discounts, Cashback and Other Deals on Gold, Silver & Diamond on These Websites and Apps.

As per one of the most famous stories of why we celebrate Dhanteras is associated with King Hima’s daughter-in-law saved his son from Yamraj, God of death. Predictions were made that he would die of a snake bite on the fourth day of his marriage. Being aware of this prediction, his newly wedded wife laid out all her ornaments, gold and silver coins and placed it in heaps at the entrance of her husband’s sleeping chamber and furbished the whole place with lamps. Yama arrived under the disguise of a snake, but he was unable to enter the prince’s chamber as he was blinded by the light of the lamps and jewellery. In the morning, he quietly went away sparing the life of the prince. This way, the wife saved her husband from the clasp of death. Buying gold and silver jewellery is said to protect you against bad omen and is said to bring prosperity in one’s household.

Dhanteras 2018 Puja Muhurat (According to DrikPanchang)

Dhanteras Puja Muhurat: 06:38 pm to 08:32 pm

Pradosh Kaal: 05:59 pm to 08:32 pm

Vrishabha Kaal: 06:38 pm to 08:32 pm

Dhanteras Puja

Devotees perform Lakshmi puja and worship Lord Kuber in the evening and sing devotional songs and bhajans. People light up butter lamps (diyas) to drive all evil spirits away. Traditional sweets are cooked and offered to the Goddess. In Maharashtra, people pound coriander seeds and jaggery together and offer it as Naivedya. In South India, people consider cows as incarnations of Goddess Lakshmi and hence treat the with great reverence.

On the day of Dhanteras itself, people make colourful rangolis outside their homes, decorate the house and clean the house beforehand. Footprints of Goddess Lakshmi are either drawn or stickers from the market are brought and are kept at the doorsteps. It marks the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi. This Dhanteras and Diwali pray to Goddess Lakshmi to bring you and your family good luck, health and prosperity.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2018 08:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).