dhanteras 2008

dhanteras pooja, dhanteras, dhan teras, diwali 2008, dhanteras puja

Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated for five days in the Hindu month of Ashwayuja. Dhanateras, also known as Dhana trayodashi or Dhanwantari Triodashi, is the first day of Diwali celebrations. Trayodashi means 13th day, hence, it falls on the 13th day of the first half of the lunar month (October/ September). People consider the day as an auspicious day for shopping.

When is Dhanteras in 2008?

In 2008, Dhanateras falls on 26th October, Sunday.

Preparations for Dhanateras:

Houses, shops and other business premises are cleaned and decorated to celebrate Dhanteras in an hygienic environment. Women make the entrances colorful with Rangoli designs and flower garlands. Dhanteras is celebrated to pay respect to the Goddess Laxmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Lamps are kept throughout the nights to welcome the Goddess. Small footprints of the Goddess are also marked with rice flour or vermilion powder all over the houses.

Traditions of Dhanateras:

* Hindus believe that on Dhanteras, purchasing of any metal or shopping for some valuable things is a sign of good luck. Hence they prefer to shop on Dhanteras.
* Lakshmi-puja is performed on the occasion of Dhanteras. Hindus worship the Goddess of wealth, Goddess Laxmi to bless them with wealth and prosperity.
* Devotees sing devotional songs (Bhajans) praising the Goddess. They also dance and perform plays depicting the history and significance of Dhanteras.

Celebrations on Dhanateras:

Dhanteras is celebrated in an enthusiastic atmosphere. Small clay diyas are lighted and kept burning all through the night to throw away the shadows of evil spirits. Devotees offer ‘Naivedya’ of traditional sweets to please the Goddess. In Maharashtra, as ‘Naivedya’, devotees offer a lightly pound coriander seeds with jaggery to the Goddess.

In Indian villages, farmers adorn and worship cattle on the day of Dhanateras. Due to their predominant source of income is farming, which is done with the help of cattle, farmers worship cattle. In South India, Hindus believe that cows are the incarnation of the Goddess, they adorn and worship them on Dhanteras.

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