PM Modi extends his wishes on the occasion of 'Dhanteras' from Glasgow, Scotland

On the occasion of Dhanteras, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his greetings to the people on Tuesday. "Greetings to everyone on the special occasion of Dhanteras," tweeted PM Modi. The Prime Minister is currently in Glasgow, Scotland

Dhanteras, the first day of the five-day festival of lights, is seen as a good day to buy new things, particularly metals such as gold and silver.

The first day of Diwali began on Tuesday, with Dhanteras signalling the start of the celebrations. The "Dhan" in Dhanteras translates to "wealth", "Teras" refers to the 13th day of the lunar cycle, when people worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity in Hindu culture.

PM Modi extends his wishes on the occasion of Dhanteras

History and mythological stories behind Dhanteras

The various rituals associated with Dhanteras are aimed at praying for the household's wealth as well as the women praying for their husband's health and long life. Many homes perform Laxmi puja on Dhanteras day. The auspicious and celebratory mood for Diwali celebrations is set by Dhanteras.

Dhanteras has a Hindu narrative behind it. People worship Lord Yamaraja on this day. According to one famous legend, a king's son's horoscope indicated that he would die on the fourth day of his marriage by a snake bite. His wife decided to change the course of his life on the fourth day of their marriage. She recited stories to keep her husband awake so that he didn't fall asleep.

She piled all the jewels and cash at the entryway to entice the snake away. The God of Death is said to have been blinded by all the brilliant jewellery and riches when he arrived disguised as a serpent. As a result, the serpent was unable to enter the prince's chamber and became engrossed in the wife's stories and songs. He is said to have quietly left the location in the morning.

Another theory behind Dhanteras

Another common narrative features Lord Dhanvantari, who is the Gods' physician and an avatar of Lord Vishnu, who emerged from an ocean churned by Gods and demons on Dhanteras Day. Since then, Dhanteras has become one of Hinduism's most auspicious days and largest holidays.

At night, people worship Lord Yamaraja, the God of Death. People clean their dwellings and decorate them with lights just before Diwali to ward off negative energy.

(IMAGE: ANI)