Delhi, UP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
The strongest Dhanteras culture. Yamadeepdaan in the evening, Dhanvantari puja in the morning, and heavy utensil and jewellery buying. In Rajasthan, markets stay open until midnight.
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धनतेरस
The first day of Diwali — the day to buy metal, gold and new utensils.
Counting down to Dhanteras 2026
Your local time · Friday 6 November 2026
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Trayodashi (13th tithi) of Krishna Paksha in Kartik
Dhanteras is the first day of the Diwali season, falling two days before Diwali on the thirteenth tithi of Krishna Paksha in Kartik. In 2026 it is Friday 6 November. The name comes from dhan, wealth, and teras, thirteen.
Two stories are attached to the day. In one, Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, emerged from the churning of the ocean holding the pot of amrita — which is why Dhanteras is also observed as Dhanvantari Jayanti, a day for health and Ayurveda. In the other, a young king's wife saved her husband from a predicted death on the fourth night of marriage by piling gold and silver ornaments at the door of his chamber so brightly that Yama, the god of death, was blinded and could not enter. In some retellings it is the god of death and a lamp; in others, a heap of metal ornaments.
The practical expression of both stories is the same: buying metal on Dhanteras is considered auspicious. Households buy gold or silver, at minimum a steel utensil, or a new kitchen item. On the stock markets, Dhanteras and Diwali are the traditional muhurat trading days. Jewellers in India can do a meaningful share of their annual volume on this single day.
Dhanteras is also when houses are finally finished being cleaned and the first diyas are lit at the door in the evening. The Yamadeepdaan ritual — a single diya left outside facing south, in honour of Yama — is performed on this night in many North Indian households.
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May Dhanteras bring you health, wealth and a year of good fortune. Happy Dhanteras!
Wishing you and your family prosperity on this auspicious day. Happy Dhanteras!
May Goddess Lakshmi bless your home with abundance this Dhanteras.
Happy Dhanteras! May your investments grow and your household stay healthy.
On Dhanteras, may you gain both dhan and aarogya. Best wishes!
Wishing you a Dhanteras full of new beginnings and new purchases. Shubh Dhanteras!
In the order a household actually does them.
Sweep and mop the whole house, and clear the puja room. Dhanteras cleaning is treated as the proper beginning of Diwali preparation rather than an afterthought.
Light a ghee lamp before a picture or idol of Dhanvantari, offer tulsi, and recite the Dhanvantari mantra. Households with an Ayurvedic practice also do puja to their medicine cabinet.
Buy the utensil or jewellery before sunset if possible. Even a single steel bowl counts — the ritual requirement is metal, not value.
Place one diya outside the main entrance with its flame facing south, on a small plate of rice or wheat. Leave it to burn out. Do not move it once lit.
Some households do a short Lakshmi puja with Kubera on this night, ahead of the main Lakshmi Puja on Diwali.
This is where most festival sites give one national answer to a question that has several.
The strongest Dhanteras culture. Yamadeepdaan in the evening, Dhanvantari puja in the morning, and heavy utensil and jewellery buying. In Rajasthan, markets stay open until midnight.
Dhanteras is treated primarily as the opening of the shopping season, leading into Chopda Puja on Diwali. Maharashtra also marks it as Dhanvantari Jayanti, with Ayurvedic shops doing brisk business.
Dhanteras is observed by North Indian communities and business families but is not a broadly public holiday. Where celebrated, the emphasis is on the auspicious metal purchase.
The day is observed as the start of the Diwali week; Yamadeep and metal buying are followed in business and trading communities particularly.
Gift categories, honestly described — not a list of sponsored products.
The single most traditional Dhanteras purchase. Even a 1-gram coin is legitimate — the ritual is about metal, not weight.
Suits: wife, child, family, newborn, parents
Modern Dhanteras gifting is largely kitchenware, because it is used daily and lasts decades.
Suits: mother, wife, newly married, new home
Ties to Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods — the health half of Dhanteras that most gifting ignores.
Suits: parents, grandparents, in-laws
A silver diya, thali or kalash is bought for the house rather than the person, which makes it a gift that the whole family uses.
Suits: parents, new home, newly married couple
Dhanteras is the biggest appliance-buying week of the Indian year after Akshaya Tritiya; a mixer, air fryer or water purifier is a common household purchase made specifically on this day.
Suits: wife, mother, self
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With honest budget ranges and a difficulty rating for each.
Arrange the new Dhanteras purchase — the utensil or silver piece — on a brass tray with marigold and a single diya, and keep it in the entryway for the rest of the season. It doubles as the season's first decoration.
Budget: ₹0–₹300
A small steel plate with a layer of rice, one clay diya, placed just outside the main door. Mark its spot with tape so nobody kicks it during the evening. Clean and ritual-correct is more important than elaborate here.
Budget: ₹50–₹150
A rangoli built around circular coin shapes in gold and silver powder, which is the visual shorthand for Dhanteras specifically.
Budget: ₹100–₹350
Including a note on why each dish belongs to this festival.
The prasad specific to Dhanteras in North Indian households — coriander, dry fruit and sugar, offered to Dhanvantari for health.
About 30 minutes
Ingredients
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Dhanteras falls on Friday 6 November 2026, two days before Diwali on 8 November.
Traditionally gold, silver or a new metal utensil. Any metal purchase is considered auspicious, so a single steel utensil satisfies the ritual if jewellery is not in your budget. Appliances and kitchenware are the modern equivalent.
Many Indian families consider Dhanteras and Diwali auspicious for vehicle purchases, and car dealerships run their biggest delivery days in this window. Any metal purchase qualifies on this day specifically.
It is the ritual of lighting a single diya outside the main entrance facing south on Dhanteras night, in honour of Yama, the god of death. The lamp is left to burn through the night and is not moved once lit.
Some households buy a new broom on Dhanteras because Lakshmi is associated with cleanliness and a clean home. It is a regional and family tradition rather than a universal one.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026. This page covers a regionally specific festival — where practices differ, they are described separately rather than averaged. If you spot an error, tell us and we will correct it.