Issue 8.5 - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

eginning of the Diwali celebrations and that is
why, it is considered the first day of five days long
festivities of Diwali. The term ‘Dhanteras’ consists
of two factors ‘dhan’, which means wealth and
‘teras’, which means thirteenth. Thirteenth is
meant to indicate the day ‘Trayodashi’, i.e. the
thirteenth day of the month on which Dhanteras
falls. Dhanvantari Trayodashi (Dhanwantari
Trayodashi) is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar
day of Krishna Paksha, of the Hindu month of
Kartik, which is two days before Diwali.
Dhanteras Celebrations
People worship Lord Yamaraj, the God of death, on
this day and light a ‘Yama-Diya’ in the night to offer
prayers to him to bless them with prosperity, wellbeing
and protection. They also purchase a new
utensil, silver or gold coin or some other precious
metal as a sign of good luck on the day of
Dhanteras. The day of Dhanteras has great
importance for the mercantile community of
Western India. In Maharashtra, there is a peculiar
custom to lightly pound dry coriander seeds with
jaggery and offer as Naivedya. In the rural areas the
cultivators worship their cattle because they form
the main source of their income and livelihood.
Legends
Another story famous about Dhanteras is related to
the son of King Hima and his intelligent wife. It was
predicted about King Hima that he would die on the
fourth day of his marriage and the reason behind his
death would be snakebite. When his wife came to
know about such a prediction she decided not to let
her husband die and for this she made a plan. On the
fourth day of their marriage she collected all the
jewellery and wealth at the entrance of her husband’s
boudoir and lighted lamps all around the place and
started telling stories and singing songs one after
another in order to not let her husband sleep.
10 | Bhavan Australia | Nov 2010
In the mid night Lord Yama, the God of death
arrived there in guise of a snake. The bright lights
of the lamps lit by the wife of the king’s son blinded
his eyes and he could not enter their chamber.
Therefore, Lord Yama found a place to stay
comfortable on top of the heap of the jewellery and
wealth and kept sitting there for the whole night
waiting to get a chance to bite the king’s son but as
the wife of the king’s son kept telling stories and
singing songs for the whole night therefore he
could not get any chance and in the morning he left
the place quietly. Thus, the wife saved her
husband’s life from the cruel clutches of death.
Since then the day of Dhanteras is also known as
the day of ‘Yamadeepdaan’ and it has become a
tradition to light a diya on Dhanteras and to keep it
burning throughout the night in reverential
adoration of Lord Yama, the God of death.
Narak Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali)
One famous story behind the celebrations of Diwali
is about the demon king Narakasur, who was ruler
of Pragjyotishpur, a province to the South of Nepal.
During a war, he defeated Lord Indra and snatched
away the magnificent earrings of Mother Goddess
Aditi, who was not only the ruler of Suraloka, but
also a relative of Lord Krishna’s wife, Satyabhama.
Narakasur also imprisoned sixteen thousand
daughters of Gods and saints in his harem. A day
before Diwali, Lord Krishna killed Narakasur,
released the jailed daughters and restored the
precious earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi.
Diwali and Shri Ram
The most famous legend behind the celebrations of
Diwali is about the prince of Ayodhya Nagri, Lord
Shri Ram. According to the legend, the king of
Lanka, Ravan, kidnapped Lord Ram’s wife, Sita. Ram
attacked Lanka, killed Ravan and released Sita. He
returned to Ayodhya with his wife Sita and younger
brother Lakshamana after fourteen years.
Therefore, the people of Ayodhya decorated their
homes as well as Ayodhya, by lighting tiny diyas, in
order to welcome their beloved prince Shri Ram
and Devi Sita. It was the day of ‘Kartik Amavasyaa’
when they also celebrated the victory of Shri Ram
over the King of Lanka, Ravan. Ram is considered
the symbol of good and the positive things and
Ravan represents the evils. Therefore, Diwali is
considered the festival, which establishes the
victory of good over the evil. On the night of Diwali,
people light diyas, an icon of positive energy to
conquer darkness, the symbol of negative energy.
Lakshmi Pooja
Lakshmi Pooja is one of the most important
features of Diwali celebrations. Lakshmi, who is
considered the goddess of light, beauty, good
fortune and wealth, is worshipped on the occasion
of Diwali to bring prosperity in the family. She is
also worshiped to achieve success and fortune. It is