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Rangolis, colourful diyas, fireworks and Diwali gifts are all signs that Diwali is fast approaching. People all over the nation get ready to celebrate the joy that the festival of lights represents, right from the very first day of Dhanteras. Diwali is typically celebrated for a period of five days. The first day is Dhanteras, followed by Kalichaudhas, Diwali, New Year and Bhai Dooj.

Celebrating Dhanteras

This day marks the beginning of the Diwali celebrations. Hindus consider this day to be very auspicious, and believe that the day brings prosperity and wealth. So, to this end, the day is devoted to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, who according to the Hindu mythology is the deity for wealth. The entire nation is at the markets on this day, since it is extremely popular for people to do their Diwali shopping on this day, owing to the promise of wealth that the day stands for. Gold, silver, precious metals, gemstones and jewellery are among the top purchases in many families.

How to Celebrate Dhanteras

A lot of devotion goes into this day, and prayers and chants are on a high, to create a spiritual atmosphere. So, apart from making some major purchases, people go above and beyond to make their homes an abode for Goddess Lakshmi. Here is what you can do at your own home:

1. Lighting Lamps: This is called the festival of lights for a reason. It is believed that the lights that are lit on the moonless night ward off negativity. There are numerous ways and ideas on how to light up you house, such as:

• Colourful candles, with fragrant aromas, can be strategically places around the house to bring in a soothing and spiritual effect to your home.
• You can use floating candles filled in large earthen bowls of water with a mix of fresh flowers. They could also make for some beautiful centre pieces for your dining table, coffee table, centre table, etc.
• Wind serial lights and rice bulbs around the beams and pillars or even the window frames.
• If you have staircases in your house, you can line the steps with diwali diyas. The sight will be utterly breathtaking. You can do a bit of online shopping to get all your supplies, rather than running to the store during a period that is known for heavy traffic.
• Don your home with hanging lanterns if you have a few hooks around the house. Also, these lanterns will look great on your porch or balcony.

1. Flowers, Drapes and Rangoli: If lamps bring in light, rangoli, flowers and drapes bring in colour and vibrancy. Hanging strings of flowers and drapes around the house will definitely brighten the home, adding to the rich festive spirit.

1. Lakshmi Pooja: Since Dhanteras is a day devoted to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, performing Lakshmi Pooja is widely popular on this day. Invoke the Goddess by reciting Vedic mantras. Offer fruits and rich sweets to the Goddess, while singing a few hymns or bhajans, as a part of your worship. You can even call a trained Pandit to perform an elaborate pooja at your home, for which you can invite relatives and friends. Apart from the whole spiritual experience, it also generates a lot of positivity in the home.

1. Giving Gifts: Giving Diwali gifts is a customary part of the celebrations. With online shopping, the perfect gifts for all your family members and friends are just a few clicks away, clubbed with some exciting offers and discounts. So, for this Dhanteras, make full use of this feature to make it extra special.

Significance of Dhanteras

Also, on the day of Dhanteras, it is extremely auspicious to commence a new project. So, set up a business, host a house warming, schedule a wedding, invest in jewellery, buy a car or make other big purchases on this day. Diwali shopping would be a good idea, given all the discounts on offer during this time.