Dhanteras 2026

Puja Vidhi: Gujarat (Dhan Puja)

About the Festival

Dhanteras, called Dhan Teras in Gujarat, is a much-loved Gujarati festival on which families worship Lakshmi in the form of the wealth of their home. It takes place on the Trayodashi (thirteenth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Ashwin.

Who Should Perform This Puja?

• Householders: Families worship the gold, silver and money of the home as Lakshmi, seeking her lasting presence in the house (Sthir Lakshmi).
• Traders: Business families bring home new account books (Chopda) on this day, seeking Lakshmi's blessings on their business.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Dhan Puja: The Lakshmi puja is done in the evening, in an auspicious muhurat as given by the Choghadiya (the division of the day into auspicious and inauspicious periods). Check the Choghadiya and puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Yama Dipdan: The lamp for Yama is lit outside the main door after sunset.

The Katha (Story of Lakshmi and the Farmer)

Once, Lord Vishnu was about to go down to the earth, and Goddess Lakshmi asked to come along. He agreed on one condition: that she obey him. He left her at one spot, told her to wait there, and went on toward the south.

Lakshmi did not wait. She followed him, and in one field she adorned herself with mustard flowers, and in the next she took sugarcane. Vishnu was angry and cursed her to serve for twelve years the farmer whose crop she had taken, and then he went to the Ocean of Milk (Kshir Sagar).

With Lakshmi in his house, the farmer's home overflowed with wealth and grain. When Vishnu returned after twelve years, the farmer would not let her go.

Lakshmi then told him: "On Dhanteras, clean your house and light a ghee lamp at night. In the evening, keep your money in a copper Kalash and worship it, and I shall stay in your house all year." Since that day, the worship of Lakshmi on Dhanteras has been observed.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Seat & Cloth: A Bajoth (low wooden seat), a white cloth, and rice for a heap
• Lakshmi & Wealth: A picture or idol of Lakshmi, a Shri Yantra or Lakshmi coins, and the gold and silver ornaments, coins and money of the home
• Copper Kalash: A copper Kalash, with money to keep in it
• Abhishek & Prasad: Milk with sugar, clean water, curd, Panchamrut, and a sweet made of cow's milk
• Lamps, Tilak & Flowers: An oil Diya and a Ghee Diya, incense, Kumkum, and lotus, rose and white flowers
• For Yama Dipdan: Rice, a clay Kodiyu (small earthen lamp) with a cotton wick, and sesame oil

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Cleaning the House and Setting the Seat

1. Clean the house well, as the katha teaches.
2. Spread a white cloth on the Bajoth and make a heap of rice on it.
3. Place the picture of Lakshmi on the heap, with a lamp and incense before it.

Step 2: Gathering the Wealth of the Home

1. Bring the gold and silver ornaments, coins and money of the home, including what is kept in the tijori, and place them before Lakshmi.
2. Put money in the copper Kalash and set it beside the picture.
3. Light the oil Diya on the left of the deity and the Ghee Diya on the right.

Step 3: Abhishek of the Shri Yantra or Lakshmi Coins (Shubh Muhurat)

1. In the auspicious muhurat, bathe the Shri Yantra or the Lakshmi coins with sugared milk, reciting the Shri Suktam or "Om Mahalakshmyai Namah".
2. Bathe them again with clean water.
3. Offer the Nadachhadi (sacred red thread).

Step 4: Worshipping Lakshmi and the Wealth

1. Apply Kumkum to Lakshmi and offer lotus, rose and white flowers.
2. Worship the gold, silver, coins and the copper Kalash of money as Lakshmi herself.
3. Offer the cow's milk sweet and Panchamrut as prasad.
4. Recite the Mahalakshmi Stotra and Ashtakam.

Step 5: Kubera, Dhanvantari and Aarti

1. At the end of the Lakshmi puja, worship Kubera and then Lord Dhanvantari.
2. Perform the Lakshmi Aarti, "Jai Lakshmi Mata", with the lit Ghee lamp.
3. Draw a Kumkum Swastik in a thali and keep the thali through the year.

Step 6: Yama Dipdan (After Sunset)

1. After sunset, make a small heap of rice outside the main door.
2. Place on it the clay Kodiyu with a cotton wick and sesame oil, and light it.
3. Face the south and pray to Yama.

Puja Vidhi: Hindi Belt (Yamadeepdan)

About the Festival

Dhanteras is a much-loved North Indian observance, the first day of Diwali, on which families worship Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari in the evening, buy new vessels and light a lamp for Yamraj at the door. It takes place on the Trayodashi (thirteenth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

Who Should Perform This Puja?

• Families: The whole household keeps this evening together, worshipping Lakshmi and Kubera for wealth and Dhanvantari for health.
• Seekers of Good Health: Devotees pray to Lord Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods who gave Ayurveda to the world, for health and healing (Arogya).
• Devotees Seeking Protection from Untimely Death: Families light a lamp for Yamraj at the door to be free from the fear of untimely death (Akal Mrityu).

When Should This Be Performed?

• Shopping: Buying new vessels and gold or silver is considered auspicious through the day of Trayodashi.
• Puja Muhurat: The Dhanteras puja is done in the evening during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset), in the steady Vrishabha Lagna (a fixed rising sign). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Yama Deepam: The lamp for Yamraj is lit at dusk, in Pradosh Kaal, after the puja of Kubera and Dhanvantari is complete.

The Katha (Story of Yama's Messengers and King Hema's Son)

Once upon a time, Yamraj, the Lord of Death, asked his messengers (Yamdoots): "In taking the lives of living beings, did you ever feel pity for anyone?" After some hesitation, one of them told of the son of King Hema. When the boy was born, the astrologers foretold that he would die on the fourth day after his wedding. King Hans, who had come as a guest to Hema's kingdom, took the child under his care.

To save the boy, King Hans hid him in a cave on the bank of the Yamuna, where not even the shadow of a woman could fall, and he grew up there as a celibate student (brahmachari). Yet fate found a way: he married King Hans's own daughter by Gandharva Vivah (a marriage by mutual consent). On the fourth day after the wedding, the messengers came for his life, and at the sight of the young bride's grief, even they wept.

Hearing this, Yamraj was moved and said: "Death cannot be undone. But whoever lights a lamp for me, facing south, at dusk on the Trayodashi of the Krishna Paksha in Kartik will never fear untimely death."

Since that day, families have lit the Yama Deepam outside the door on Dhanteras, and those who light it are said to be free from the fear of untimely death.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Images: Idols or pictures of Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari, and of Lord Ganesha
• Chowki & Kalash: A Chowki with a red or yellow cloth, and a Kalash filled with Ganga water, with mango leaves and a coconut on top
• Tilak & Offerings: Roli, Akshat (unbroken rice grains), flowers, fruit, Khil (puffed rice), Batashe (sugar drops), sweets (white for Kubera, yellow for Dhanvantari), dry fruit, whole coriander seeds and pulses
• Lamps & Lights: Thirteen clay Diyas, cow's Ghee, camphor and incense
• Yama Deepam: One new large clay Diya, two long wicks, sesame oil with a little black sesame, Khil or wheat for a small heap, a flower, a Batasha and water
• New Purchases: A gold or silver coin or a new metal item, and a new broom

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Buying New Items (Through the Day)

1. Buy a new vessel, or a gold or silver coin or other new metal item; since Lord Dhanvantari appeared holding a Kalash, buying vessels is the custom of the day.
2. Bring home a new broom as well.
3. Buy whole coriander seeds; after Diwali they are sown in the garden or the field.

Step 2: Preparing the Home and Altar

1. Clean the house, and draw Rangoli and the footprints of Goddess Lakshmi at the entrance.
2. Place a Chowki in the northeast corner of the house and spread a red or yellow cloth on it.
3. Fill a Kalash with Ganga water, put mango leaves in it and place a coconut on top.
4. Install the images of Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, and set the images of Kubera and Dhanvantari toward the north.

Step 3: Performing the Evening Rituals

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light the Ghee Diyas before the deities; the lamps are kept burning through the night.
2. Applying Tilak: Worship Lord Ganesha first, then apply Roli and Akshat to Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari.
3. Offering Flowers & Fruit: Offer fresh flowers and fruit to each deity.
4. Offering Naivedya: Offer a white sweet to Kubera and a yellow sweet to Dhanvantari, along with Khil, Batashe and dry fruit.

Step 4: Worshipping Kubera and Dhanvantari

1. Chant the Kubera mantra, "Om Hreem Kuberaya Namah", before the image of Kubera.
2. If you have no image of Kubera, worship the Tijori (strongbox) or the jewellery box as Shri Kubera.
3. Take a Tulsi mala and chant the Dhanvantari mantra 108 times before his aarti.

Step 5: Aarti

1. Perform the Lakshmi Aarti with the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Sing the Dhanvantari Aarti, "Om Jai Dhanvantari Deva".
3. Sing the Kubera Aarti, "Om Jai Yaksh Kuber Hare".

Step 6: Yama Deepam (Pradosh Kaal)

1. After the Kubera and Dhanvantari puja, wash the new clay Diya in water, lay the two wicks across each other so that four ends show, and fill it with sesame oil and a little black sesame.
2. Worship the lamp with Roli, Akshat and flowers, then make a small heap of Khil or wheat outside the main door.
3. Light the lamp, set it on the heap facing south, and recite: "Mrityuna pashadandabhyam kalena cha maya saha, trayodashyam dipadanat suryajah priyatamiti." Let it burn through the night.
4. Offer a flower, a Batasha and water with "Om Yamadevaya Namah", and bow toward the south.

Puja Vidhi: Maharashtra (Dhantrayodashi)

About the Festival

Dhantrayodashi is a much-loved Maharashtrian observance, the second day of Diwali, on which Dhanvantari is worshipped first, together with Lakshmi and Kubera, and a lamp is lit for Yama. It takes place on the Trayodashi (thirteenth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Ashwin.

Who Should Perform This Puja?

• Families: Families keep Dhantrayodashi by worshipping Dhanvantari, Lakshmi and Kubera and by lighting a lamp for Yama, so that no one in the home meets an untimely death (Akal Mrityu).
• Traders and Shopkeepers: Traders worship their account books, their shop and their goods on this day.
• Ayurvedic Vaidyas: Vaidyas (Ayurvedic physicians) worship Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, and give prasad of small pieces of neem leaves and sugar.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Abhyanga Snan: The oil bath (Abhyanga Snan) is taken early in the morning.
• Puja Muhurat: The Dhantrayodashi puja is done in the evening, at lamp-lighting time, during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Yama Deepdan: The lamp for Yama is lit in the evening during Pradosh Kaal, after the puja. Check the timings for your city on this page.

The Katha (Story of King Haim's Son and His Bride)

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Haim who had no son. After many vows and prayers, he was blessed with a son at last. But Satvai, the goddess who writes the fate of every newborn child, foretold that the prince would die on the fourth day after his wedding.

Grieved, the king built a strong palace in a deep pool of the river Yamuna and set guards all around it. The prince grew up, was married, and went to live in that palace with his bride. When the fourth night came, the young bride would not let her husband sleep. She heaped gold and silver coins around him and across the doorway, lit the whole palace with great lamps, and kept him awake all night with stories and songs.

At the appointed hour, Yama came to the palace in the form of a serpent. But as he reached the door, his eyes were dazzled by the glitter of the gold and silver and the blaze of the lamps. He could not enter, and he turned back to Yamalok.

The prince's life was saved by his wife's wisdom and devotion. Yama gave his word that whoever gives a lamp for him on the Krishna Paksha Trayodashi of Ashwin, and keeps the lamps lit during Pradosh, will not die an untimely death. Since that day, this day has been called Yamadeepdan, and families light a lamp for Yama on Dhantrayodashi.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Seat & Cloth: A Chaurang (low wooden seat) and a red cloth to spread over it
• Sacred Water & Flowers: Ganga water and red flowers
• Lamps: A Diya with Ghee for the puja, and more Diyas for the deity, the Tulsi plant (Tulas), the threshold and the courtyard
• New Purchases: The new metal, jewellery or vessels bought on this day, to place on the Chaurang, and a new broom (Kersuni)
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Coriander seeds (Dhane) and jaggery (Gul)
• For the Yama Lamp: Wheat dough (Kanik) to shape the lamp

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Oil Bath

1. Rise early in the morning and take the Abhyanga Snan (the traditional oil bath), as is the custom on this day.

Step 2: Preparing the Chaurang (Evening)

1. Sprinkle Ganga water and spread a red cloth on the Chaurang.
2. Place Dhanvantari, Lakshmi and Kubera on the Chaurang.
3. Place on it the new metal, jewellery or vessels you have bought today.

Step 3: Performing the Evening Puja

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya before the deities and keep it burning.
2. Offering Flowers: Offer fresh red flowers.
3. Reciting the Mantra and Stotras: Chant the Kubera Mantra, "Om Hreem Kuberaya Namah", and then recite the Dhanvantari Stotra and the Lakshmi Stotra.
4. Offering Naivedya: Offer coriander seeds lightly pounded with jaggery (Dhane and Gul) as the Naivedya.

Step 4: Account Books, Shop and the New Broom

1. If you run a business, worship your account books, your shop and your goods.
2. Buy a new broom (Kersuni) on this day, for it is bought as a form of Lakshmi.

Step 5: Yama Deepdan (Pradosh Kaal)

1. After the puja, shape one lamp from wheat dough (Kanik).
2. Light it in the evening, turn the tip of its wick toward the south, and bow to the lamp.
3. Light Diyas beside the deity, at the Tulsi plant, on the threshold and in the courtyard, reciting the verse: "अनायासेन मरणम्, बिना दैन्येन जीवनम् । देहान्त तव सानिध्यम्, देहि मे परमेश्वरम् ॥" (a death without suffering, a life without dependence, and Your presence at the end of life: grant me this, O Supreme Lord).

Puja Vidhi: South India (Dhanvantari)

About the Festival

Dhana Trayodashi is a much-loved South Indian observance in which families prepare the water and the medicine for the Deepavali oil bath and honour Dhanvantari, the divine physician. It takes place on the Trayodashi (thirteenth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Ashwin.

Who Should Perform This Puja?

• Kannada and Madhva Households: Families in Karnataka prepare the water for the Chaturdashi oil bath and light a lamp for Yama on this day (Jala-poorna Trayodashi).
• Tamil Households: Women of the family make the medicinal preparation (Marundhu) and pass the recipe on to their daughters and daughters-in-law.
• Telugu Devotees of Dhanvantari: Those who keep the Dhanvantari Vrata worship the divine physician and seek his blessings.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Dhanvantari Vrata Bath: Taken before sunrise, at a river or the sea, followed by the worship of Dhanvantari.
• Water Vessel: The vessel for the Chaturdashi oil bath is decorated, filled and worshipped on this day, and kept full through the night.
• Yama Deepa: The lamps are lit outside the home during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Marundhu: Offered in the day's prayer and eaten before sunrise on Naraka Chaturdashi.

The Katha (Story of Dhanvantari and the Pot of Amrita)

Once upon a time, the devas and the asuras joined together to churn the Ocean of Milk (Kshira Sagara), for they longed for amrita, the nectar of immortality. Many wonders rose from the deep as the churning went on.

On the Trayodashi of the Krishna Paksha, Dhanvantari, a part-avatar of Lord Vishnu, rose from the ocean holding a pot of amrita in his hands. The gods and the world had waited long for this gift, and with him came the hope of health and long life.

Dhanvantari is the physician of the gods. He gave the science of Ayurveda to the world, so that human beings too could heal their illnesses and care for their bodies with herbs and medicines.

Because he appeared holding a vessel, people bring home a new vessel on this day, and healers remember him with reverence. Since that day, families have honoured Dhanvantari on Trayodashi, praying for health and a long, well-protected life.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the day's rites:

• Water Vessel: The vessel used to heat the bath water, Sunna (lime paste), Kumkuma, mango leaves, and a piece of turmeric
• Water & Herbs: Fresh water to fill the vessel, and medicinal herbs and roots
• Yama Lamp: A Diya with sesame oil (ellu yenne)
• Marundhu: The medicinal preparation made at home from your family's recipe
• Dhanvantari Kalash: A Kalash for invoking Dhanvantari
• Tambula: Betel leaves and areca nut for the vaidyas (Ayurvedic physicians) and elders

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Bath and Kalash (Before Sunrise)

1. Bathe in a river or the sea before sunrise, as Telugu families do for the Dhanvantari Vrata.
2. Set up a Kalash facing east, at home, on a river or sea shore, or in a hospital.
3. Invoke Lord Dhanvantari into the Kalash.

Step 2: Worshipping Dhanvantari

1. Worship Dhanvantari with the sixteen offerings (Shodashopachara), reciting the Purusha Sukta.
2. Recite the Dhanvantari stotra from the Matsya Purana.
3. Offer Tambula to the vaidyas and elders.

Step 3: Preparing the Water Vessel

1. Scrub the bathing area and the vessels, and draw a rangoli before them.
2. Decorate the vessel used to heat the bath water with Sunna and Kumkuma, and tie mango leaves and a piece of turmeric around its neck.
3. Fill the vessel with fresh water (in the Malnad hills, the water is fetched from a river or well and prayed over).

Step 4: Worshipping the Water

1. Perform the Ganga Puja on the filled vessel, reciting the verse beginning "गङ्गे च यमुने चैव".
2. Add medicinal herbs to the water and store it for the Chaturdashi oil bath.
3. Keep the vessels full of water and the hearth (chulha) alight through the night.

Step 5: Yama Deepa (Pradosh Kaal)

1. During Pradosh Kaal, light Diyas with sesame oil outside the home.
2. Place them facing south and recite: "मृत्युना पाशदण्डाभ्यां कालेन च मया सह । त्रयोदश्यां दीपदानात् सूर्यजः प्रीयतामिति ॥"
3. Remember Lakshmi Narasimha, who is revered as the indwelling spirit (Antaryami) of Yama.

Step 6: Marundhu

1. Prepare the Marundhu at home, following your family's recipe.
2. Offer it in the day's prayer.
3. Eat it before sunrise on Naraka Chaturdashi.
4. Pass the recipe on to your daughters and daughters-in-law.