Dhanteras 2020: As per Hindu mythology, on this day, Goddess Lakshmi had emerged from the ocean with a pot of gold and wealth, during the churning of the sea, also known as Samudra-Manthan. To honour her, people invest in gold on this day. (Express file photo)Dhanteras 2020 gold, silver: Dhanteras, or Dhanatrayodashi, is celebrated a day or two prior to Diwali, the festival of lights. In India, this festival is usually celebrated with great gusto, since it is considered to be one of the most significant of all Hindu festivals. According to the Drik Panchang, Dhantrayodashi is the first day of five-day-long Diwali festivities, which is celebrated on the ‘thirteenth’ lunar day of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. This year, it will be celebrated on November 13, which is a Friday.
One of the key aspects of this day is the purchase of gold and silver items — typically in the form of jewellery — along with some utensils. What is the religious significance, you ask?
On this day, people typically worship Lord Kuber and Goddess Lakshmi — the God and Goddess of Wealth. As per Hindu mythology, on this day, Goddess Lakshmi had emerged from the ocean with a pot of gold and wealth, during the churning of the sea, also known as Samudra Manthan. To honour her, people invest in gold on this day, so as to be blessed with prosperity for the coming year.
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Another story is that of the son of King Hima, whose horoscope predicted he would die of a snake bite on the fourth day of his marriage. To challenge it, his wife did not let him sleep all day. She placed all her ornaments in a basket and kept them near the door at night, along with a few lamps. She kept singing so as to keep her husband up. When on the next day, Lord Yama, the God of Death, came to claim her husband’s life in the form of a serpent, he was dazzled by all the light! Yama could not enter the house and left the couple alone. Thus, people honour the wit of the woman in saving her husband, and symbolically buy gold and silver on the day, so as to protect themselves and their loved ones.
The auspicious time to buy gold on Dhanteras is between 06.43 am and 05.59 pm on the day, says the Drik Panchang.
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