Dhanteras Puja
Dhanvantari, Kubera and the lamp for Yama on the first evening of Diwali
Common way — most homes
Dhanteras, Krishna Trayodashi of Ashwina (Amanta), in the evening Pradosh Kaal. Muhurtha shows the window on the festival card.
About 30 minutes
Diwali opens with this evening. Families honour Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, for health, and Lakshmi and Kubera for prosperity, then light one lamp outside for Yama. Buying a metal vessel is the common custom. If a mantra is hard, "Om Dhanvantaraye Namah" can stand in for any of them.
Prayers in this puja
Shubham Karoti ›Vakratunda Mahakaya ›Shuklambaradharam ›Mushikavahana ›
Get ready
The day before
- Clean the house and entrance.
- Decide on a small new vessel or coin if your family buys one; it need not be gold.
On the day
- Draw a rangoli at the door.
- Keep one four-wick clay lamp ready for Yama, along with the other lamps.
What you need
For Dhanteras
- 1Picture of Dhanvantari, or of Lakshmi and Kubera
- 1New vessel or coinOptional.
- 1Four-wick clay lamp with oil
- 5 or moreSmall diyas
- A littleCoriander seeds and jaggery
- 1 plateSweets and fruit
For the altar
- 1Clean cloth to place it onRed or yellow is traditional.
- 1Puja plate (thali)
On the plate
- 1Oil lamp (diya) with a cotton wickGhee or sesame oil.
- 2Incense sticks (agarbatti)
- A pinch eachKumkum and haldi
- A littleSandal paste (chandan)No chandan? Use kumkum.
- 1 tablespoonAkshat — unbroken rice grains mixed with a little kumkum
- A handfulFresh flowers
- 1Small vessel of clean water with a spoon
- 1Small bellOptional.
To offer
- A littleFruit, jaggery, sugar crystals (mishri) or anything cooked fresh at home
- 1 or 2 piecesCamphor for the aartiOptional; the lamp can be used instead.
The puja
Settle in
Sit facing east or north before the deity on a mat or folded cloth. Keep the plate on your right. Take a breath and let the day wait for a few minutes.
Light the lamp
Light the lamp and place it to the right of the deity. Fold your hands to it.
śubhaṁ karōti kalyāṇamārōgyaṁ dhanasampadaḥ. śatrubuddhivināśāya dīpajyōtirnamō'stu tē.I bow to the flame of the lamp, which brings good fortune, well-being, health and wealth, and destroys ill will.Remember Ganesha
Every puja begins with Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Fold your hands and say the verse once.
vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakōṭisamaprabha. nirvighnaṁ kuru mē dēva sarvakāryēṣu sarvadā.O Ganesha of the curved trunk and mighty form, radiant as a crore suns, keep my every work free of obstacles, always.Sankalpa — state your intention
Hold a little water, akshat and a flower in your right palm. Say your name, today's date in the Hindu calendar, and why you are doing the puja — for example, for the well-being of the family. Then let the water fall on the ground or into a plate. Tap "Make sankalpa" to read today's full sankalpa.
Dhyana — invite the deity
Close your eyes and picture the deity before you. Offer a pinch of akshat as you invite them to be present.
ōm dhanvantarayē namaḥ. dhyāyāmi, āvāhayāmi.Place the new vessel
Wash the new vessel or coin, and place it before the picture with a little coriander seed and jaggery in it.
Worship for health and wealth
Offer flowers and a little sandal paste. Say the mantra and ask for health first; tradition calls it the first wealth.
ōm dhanvantarayē namaḥ.Dhupa — incense
Light the incense and wave it gently before the deity three times, clockwise. Ring the bell with your left hand if you have one.
ōm dhanvantarayē namaḥ. dhūpam āghrāpayāmi.Deepa — the lamp
Lift the lamp and show it to the deity, circling it clockwise three times.
ōm dhanvantarayē namaḥ. dīpaṁ darśayāmi.Naivedya — food
Place the food before the deity. Sprinkle a little water around it, and offer it with folded hands. Wait a moment, as if it is being received.
ōm dhanvantarayē namaḥ. naivēdyaṁ nivēdayāmi.Kshama prarthana — ask forgiveness
With folded hands, ask forgiveness for anything done wrong or left out. This closes every puja.
āvāhanaṁ na jānāmi na jānāmi visarjanam. pūjāṁ caiva na jānāmi kṣamasva paramēśvara. mantrahīnaṁ kriyāhīnaṁ bhaktihīnaṁ surēśvara. yatpūjitaṁ mayā dēva paripūrṇaṁ tadastu mē.I do not know how to invite you, nor how to send you off, nor even how to worship; forgive me, O Lord. Whatever I have offered — lacking in mantra, in action or in devotion — may it be made whole.Yama Deepam
After dusk, light the four-wick lamp and set it outside the main door facing south. Bow once, without looking back as you go in. It is a prayer against untimely death.
Light the lamps
Set the other diyas at the door and windows to open the five days of Diwali.
Fasting
No fast is required. Some keep one until the evening puja.
Good to do
- Do one thing for your health today: book a check-up or start a walk.
- Keep lamps away from curtains and children.
Tradition avoids
- Do not borrow to buy metal or gold.
- Do not leave the Yama lamp where it could tip over.
Dhanteras puts health before wealth. One lamp, and care for the body you have, are the day's offering.
Traditions vary. Follow your own family's way.