Hindu festival
Dhanteras
Also known as Dhanatrayodashi, Dhanvantari Trayodashi.
Why is Dhanteras celebrated?
In short
Dhanteras is celebrated to honour the day Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, rose from the churning ocean of milk holding the pot of amrita, the nectar of life. Falling on Trayodashi in Kartik as Diwali opens, it is a day for health, prosperity, and warding off untimely death.
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Dhanteras at a glance
- Dhanteras 2026
- Thursday, 5 November 2026in 56 days
- Tithi / rule
- Trayodashi (13th tithi) of the Krishna Paksha in Kartik — the first day of the five-day Diwali festival
- Calendar
- Lunar calendar (tithi-based)
- Deity
- Lakshmi
- Significance
- Marks Dhanvantari's rise with the nectar of health, wealth, and protection.
- Region
- Across India, especially the north and west, and Hindu communities worldwide during Diwali.
Dhanvantari, physician of the gods, is honoured; the evening Yama Deepam lamp is lit to ward off untimely death.
The story of Dhanteras
Long ago, the Bhagavata Purana tells, the gods had grown weak, and the ocean of milk held a treasure they longed for: amrita, the nectar that grants deathlessness. To win it, the devas and the asuras agreed to work together, if only for a while, and churn the vast sea.
They made a churning rod of Mount Mandara and a rope of the great serpent Vasuki. As gods pulled one end and demons the other, the mountain began to sink, until Vishnu took the form of a tortoise and bore it upon his back. The churning went on and on. First came a terrible poison that threatened all creation, which Shiva drank to save the worlds. Then, one by one, wonders rose from the waters: the wish-granting cow, the divine tree, the goddess Lakshmi herself, and many more.
How is Dhanteras celebrated?
Homes are cleaned and lit with rows of diyas as Diwali begins, and many families buy gold, silver, or new utensils as a sign of incoming prosperity. Dhanvantari is honoured for health, while Lakshmi and Kubera are invoked for wealth. In the evening, a Yama Deepam lamp is set outside the door as a prayer against untimely death.
Characters in the story
A mantra to mark the day
ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः
oṃ śrīṃ mahālakṣmyai namaḥ
I bow to Mahalakshmi, giver of abundance, grace, and well-being.
More Hindu festivals
About Dhanteras
Why is Dhanteras celebrated?
Dhanteras honours the day Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, rose from the churning ocean of milk carrying the pot of amrita, the nectar of life. As the first day of Diwali, it welcomes health, wealth, and prosperity into the home, and lamps are lit to guard against untimely death.
What is the story of Dhanteras?
The Bhagavata Purana describes the Samudra Manthan, when gods and demons churned the ocean of milk for the nectar of immortality. Among the treasures that rose was Dhanvantari, holding a golden pot of amrita. His appearance, bringing both healing and fortune, is the story Dhanteras remembers each year.
Who is worshipped on Dhanteras?
Dhanvantari, the divine physician, is honoured for health and healing, since Dhanteras marks his appearance from the ocean. Many families also offer prayers to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, and Kubera, keeper of divine treasure. In the evening, a lamp is lit for Yama, lord of death, for protection.
How is Dhanteras celebrated?
Families clean and decorate their homes, draw rangoli, and light diyas to begin Diwali. It is traditional to buy something new, often gold, silver, or metal utensils, as a sign of incoming fortune. In the evening, a Yama Deepam lamp is placed outside the door to ward off untimely death.
When is Dhanteras 2026?
In 2026, Dhanteras falls on Friday, 6 November. By the Hindu calendar it is always the thirteenth day, Trayodashi, of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in the month of Kartik, marking the first day of the five-day Diwali festival. The exact date shifts each year with the lunar calendar.
What is Yama Deepam on Dhanteras?
Yama Deepam is a lamp lit outside the home on Dhanteras evening, offered to Yama, the lord of death, as a prayer against untimely death in the household. The custom recalls a folk tale in which lamps and glittering gold once dazzled Yama and spared a young prince's life.
What does the word Dhanteras mean?
Dhanteras joins two words: dhan, meaning wealth, and teras, the thirteenth day of the lunar fortnight on which it falls. The festival is also called Dhanatrayodashi. While the name points to wealth, the day equally celebrates health, through Dhanvantari, who rose bearing the nectar of life.
Why do people buy gold on Dhanteras?
Buying gold, silver, or new utensils on Dhanteras is believed to invite prosperity and good fortune for the year ahead. The custom flows from the day's link with Lakshmi and with Dhanvantari, who rose from the ocean holding a golden pot, making new metal an auspicious welcome into the home.
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