Dhanteras is the first day of the five day celebration of Diwali.
On this day Goddess Lakshmi is welcomed into homes leading up to Lakshmi Puja on Diwali night.
The story of Dhanteras is about the son of king Hima.
It was prophesied that on the fourth night of his marriage, when asleep, the Prince would die of a snake bite.
Terrified, the Prince's new bride on that night piled all the Kingdom's gold coins and sparkling gem encrusted golden ornaments at the gates of the Palace. She lit diyas all over the place and sat up all night telling the Prince stories and singing to him to prevent him from falling asleep.
In the dead of the night Yama the Lord of Death came to the Palace gates taking the form of a poisonous snake. As he tried to slither inside the threshold his eyes were dazzled and blinded by the brilliance of the burning diyas, the huge pile of gold coins and the sparkling ornaments at the threshold. Helpless he sat on top of the golden heap and got lost in hearing the interesting stories the Prince's wife was telling her husband. As dawn broke Yama realised that the time of the Prince's death had passed, so he quietly got up and went away.
On Dhanteras night, people light diyas on the threshold of their homes. They pray to the Goddess of Wealth in the form of gold coins and dress up in golden jewellery studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies that emit stunning brilliance, to dazzle and shine so as to ward off evil and bad luck.
The philosophy hidden in the mythological story is.....
To annihilate the doom of calamity; be it health, bankruptcy, or material paucity, the possession of wealth is a must.
This only comes with the worship and blessings of Goddess Lakshmi !
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