Trumpet of Diwali

It is believed that goddess Lakshmi blesses one and all during the Diwali days and people go all-out to buy new utensils to add colour and charm to their households.

It is believed that goddess Lakshmi blesses one and all during the Diwali days and people go all-out to buy new utensils to add colour and charm to their households.

HT Image

The Dhanteras day comes as a festival to proclaim that the festival of lights is around. Utensil shops come agog with all the glitter and glamour to attract buyers to welcome Lakshmi.

The festival is christened Dhanvantri Jayanti.

Legend has it that once Lord Vishnu set out to “mritiyulok” with Lakshmi. On the way, He told Lakshmi that

He would take a southward route and told her not to follow him. But Lakshmi did not care.

She went into the sugarcane fields and reveled in munching cane sticks.

On his way back, Vishnu found Lakshmi was there and that enraged Him, and said she would serve the farmer in the fields for 13 years.

After the stint, as Lakshmi readied for the departure, the farmer would not let her go.

This delighted Vishnu and he ruled Lakshmi would remain there forever and gave her some conches (kauris) to tell her that she would take a bath in the holy Ganga and throw them into the river.

Then the farmer was told that the next day would be Dhanteras when he would keep his house spic and span and he would light earthen lamps and let them keep aglow for the whole night.

The farmer too agreed to do so. Lord Vishnu was astonished to find that Lakshmi spread riches in his house.

That farmer made it a point to see that his house always remained clean, tidy and decorated tastefully and also worshipped Lakshmi regularly and found that with each passing day, his riches multiplied enormously.

The farmer bought a new utensil every year on the Dhanteras day to elicit the blessing of the goddess and became richer year by year.

He kept his “riches” in utensils. On finding that the farmer grew rich quickly, others too followed this ‘route to riches,’ which continues to be observed even today.