The Diwali festivities have begun in full swing. With Dhanteras, we are officially commencing the five-day festival series that leads us to the festival of lights. For the unversed, Dhanteras is the day of wealth where dhan refers to the same. On this day, Hindus purchase items made of gold or silver and even steel. The worshippers hail to Lord Yama, the god of death and pray to Goddess Lakshmi to keep negative energies at bay. Since Goddess Lakshmi is considered to be the goddess of wealth, several offerings are made in order to appease her on this day.
Legend has it that during Samundra Manthan, Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the ocean along with Lord Kuber. The churning of the ocean to extract amrit is referred to as Samundra Manthan and during this process, Goddess Lakshmi is believed to have given her appearance. On Dhanteras, which falls two days before Diwali in the Hindu month of Kartik, business owners and traders pray to the Lord for prosperity and growth in their work. Buying steel and metal items is believed to ward off any evil and negative spirits.
Since the festival of lights is all about happiness, prosperity and growth, there are some special foods that are prepared on this day and considered to be auspicious. Consuming these foods is believed to bring good luck on Dhanteras. For instance, in certain parts of the middle-belt in India, elephant foot yam is considered to be auspicious since it is believed that holy powers reside in it. Similarly, rice and saffron-based foods are offered to Goddess Lakshmi on this day. Here are some of them.
Kheer
A famous Indian rice pudding, kheer is commonplace across festivals and special occasions. The creamy texture of rice that has been simmered with milk for long hours gives a thick consistency. Eaten both hot and cold, this rice kheer is believed to be one of Goddess Lakshmi’s favourite. Add some chopped nuts for the crunch and your rich kheer is ready.
Naivedya
Did you know that this simple yet interesting treat is offered on Dhanteras in Maharashtra? While it is a wholesome home-made meal served on a platter, coriander seeds and jaggery combination is an essential part of it which is believed to be auspicious on this day.
Kheel Batashe
This sweet holds a special significance for the festival of Diwali because it is prepared from rice. This is no ordinary rice but paddy that has been harvested just before the festival. Offering the first produce of this rice in the form of kheel batashe makes it special. This becomes even more important on Dhanteras because it is white in colour and white foods are considered prosperous, eaten across North India.
Boondi Ladoo
Boondi ladoos are an auspicious bhog for Lord Ganesha on the festive occasion of Dhanteras. Since Ganpati bappa is worshipped alongside Goddess Lakshmi on this day, the consumption of boondi ladoos as prasad is believed to bring good luck and seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings too.
Panchamrit
This holy drink is a combination of five ingredients, making panch (meaning five) and amrit (meaning nectar for immortality). Each of the five ingredients has a special significance, wherein honey signifies unity, milk stands for purity, sugar for bliss, curd for prosperity and strength in the form of ghee. This rich and sweet drink is offered during Lakshmi puja on Dhanteras.
Lapsi
Also known as atte ka halwa, this dessert is commonly made during other festivals too. The difference lies in the fact that it has a thinner consistency when it comes to lapsi but you can use milk instead of water to make it thick if you like. Offering this wheat-based dessert on Dhanteras is considered a sign of good luck.