DHANTERAS
With the festival fever around several doesn’t know the main reason of lighting the diyas called the lamps throughout night.
Dhanteras fall on the thirteenth day before the new moon day of the Hindu month Karthikai (Oct/Nov). Dhan means in Hindi as wealth.
A story to enlighten the festival mood:
Yamadeepaan which is the other name for the dhanteras and the lamps are lit to adore the lord Yama .
The story goes about like this: Once there a lived a happily married prince who has a fate of being killed by the bite of snake. On hearing this the princess lights lamps throughout the palace and pour the jewellery at the entrance and in order not to make the prince sleep she sang songs and narrated stories. It was the time for the Lord Yama to take off the life of prince he transforms in to snake and tries to enter the house but due to the glow of lamps and jewels the snake could not enter the house. This is how the lord Yama couldn’t accomplish his task and warded off by blessing the couple.
Hence to ward off the evil spirits and acquire the blessings the lamps are lit. This is the small story well there are many stories related for the festival of lights which all has the significance of bringing in good spirits and happiness throughout.
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