what is dhanteras festival

Dhanteras is a Hindu festival that marks the beginning of the five-day Diwali festival. It is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day (Trayodashi) of Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin or Kartika. The word "Dhan" means wealth, and "Teras" means the thirteenth day. The festival is also known as Dhanatrayodashi or Dhanvantari Trayodashi. On this day, people worship Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Kubera, Lord Dhanvantari, and Lord Ganesha to welcome wealth and prosperity into their homes. The festival is celebrated by lighting clay lamps (diyas) and singing devotional songs in the evenings. People also buy valuable items such as electronics, kitchenware, and gold or silver jewelry, as it is considered auspicious to do so on this day. The Indian Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy has declared Dhanteras as the "National Ayurveda Day". The festival is named after Lord Dhanvantari, who is considered the god of Ayurveda and is believed to have imparted the wisdom of Ayurveda for the betterment of mankind.