18/10/2025
is celebrated to honor Lord , the god of and , and Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of . It commemorates the emergence of Lord Dhanvantari with a pot of nectar during the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), symbolizing good health, and the appearance of Goddess Lakshmi with wealth, symbolizing prosperity. The festival also has a legend about a prince whose life was saved from the god of death by his wife's cleverness in distracting him with bright lamps and gold, which is why people buy precious metals and light lamps on this day.
Key reasons for celebrating Dhanteras:
1) Health and well-being: The day marks the birth anniversary of Lord Dhanvantari, the divine physician who emerged from the ocean with the nectar of immortality. Worshipping him is believed to bring good health to the family.
2) Wealth and prosperity: It is a day to worship Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Lord Kuber, the treasurer of the gods, to invite prosperity and good fortune into one's home.
3) Symbolic purchases: Buying gold, silver, utensils, or other new items is considered highly auspicious. This act is symbolic of inviting wealth and good fortune into the home for the year ahead.
4) Ward off evil: A key legend recounts how a princess saved her husband from the god of death, Yamaraj, by placing gold and silver at her door and lighting lamps, which blinded the god and kept him from entering. This is why people light lamps (diyas) and buy gold and silver to ward off evil and bad luck.