Purchasing gold on Dhanatrayodashi is not mandated by the scriptures. It is merely a popular public belief. The primary ritual of the day is lighting the Yama Deepam facing south outside your home in the evening. A small brass or steel item, or simply the lamp itself, is enough for the day.
When Dhanteras arrives, queues form outside the jewellery shops in your town from early morning. Many families carry months of savings, determined to buy at least something small, and in the rush the lamp and the puja at home get pushed aside. Every year the same confusion returns: is this a day for shopping or a day for worship? This post answers that question first and then walks through what to do at home, step by step.
For the full map of the five-day festival, read our Deepavali 2026 complete guide.
What to Actually Do on Dhanatrayodashi 2026
- Gold: Buying it is not a scriptural rule, just a popular belief.
- Lamp: Lighting the Yama Deepam outside the house in the evening is the main task.
- What to buy: Coriander seeds, jaggery, and new clay lamps.
- Date: 6 November 2026.
Many people treat the day purely as a shopping day. Yet most of its customs are about health and the safety of the family. The name of the festival already hints at this.
How Dhanatrayodashi Got Its Name
Trayodashi is the thirteenth day of the waning moon in the month of Ashvayuja. Because the day is linked with Dhanvantari and with customs that welcome prosperity into the home, it came to be called Dhanatrayodashi. In North India it is known as Dhanteras. It is the first of the five days of Diwali.
Those five days run in order. Dhanatrayodashi comes first, then the Naraka Chaturdashi oil bath, then Lakshmi Puja and Kedara Gowri Vratam on Amavasya, then Bali Padyami, and finally Bhagini Hasta Bhojanam. Each day has its own custom and its own story, and this series gives each one a separate part. The full map is in the pillar guide.
Over the last few decades the name Dhanteras, and the habit of buying gold with it, have spread widely in the Telugu states. In older Telugu homes the day was mostly about cleaning the house, lighting lamps in the evening and placing the Yama Deepam outside. Put together, the “dhana” in the name means more than gold. Health, the family’s well-being and peace at home count as wealth too.
Does the Shastra Command You to Buy Gold
In the texts we examined, there is no clear command to buy gold or silver on this day. The idea grew over time as a popular belief, strengthened in large part by commercial advertising. According to the 8th Skanda of the Bhagavatam, Dhanvantari, the presiding deity of Ayurveda, emerged from the churning of the milky ocean holding a pot of nectar. That is why elders see this as a day to remember health.
So if you want to buy something, keep it within your budget. No tradition asks you to borrow money or put gold on a credit card instalment plan for the festival. A small item, or nothing at all, does not make the day incomplete.
If you do decide to buy gold, check three things. First, the BIS hallmark. Second, whether wastage and making charges are listed separately on the bill. Third, that you leave with a complete bill in hand. Shops are packed on the day, so compare prices a day or two earlier if you can and use the day itself only to collect your purchase.
Families on a tight budget often choose a small silver coin with an image of Lakshmi, or a steel or brass vessel used every day in the kitchen. Something you see and use daily keeps the memory of the festival with you all year. Jewellery stays in the cupboard; a vessel is part of every meal.
Some families also believe money should not be lent on this day. It is a regional belief, and we did not find it as a scriptural rule. Respect it if your household follows it, but helping someone in genuine need is good on any day.
Celebrating within your financial means is the true tradition.
What Telugu Households Buy on This Day
Even without gold, many Telugu families bring a few ordinary items home fresh on this day. These are kitchen staples that are always in the house, but buying new ones today is a custom.
| Item | Purpose of Buying |
|---|---|
| Coriander Seeds (Dhaniyalu) | Believed to signify the growth of wealth |
| New Clay Lamps (Pramidalu) | To be used on the main Diwali day |
| Jaggery | For preparing ritual offerings |
| Sea Salt | Kept at home as a symbol of goddess Lakshmi |
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The list changes from region to region and family to family. Some homes buy a new broom, others a brass or steel bowl. Call your grandmother today and ask what her household used to buy; this is also your chance to pass the custom on to your children.
The ideas behind items like salt and a broom are worth knowing. A new broom is bought from the belief that Lakshmi enters only a clean home. Salt is in every kitchen, so it is seen as a sign of constant plenty. These are popular beliefs rather than scriptural commands, but they carry a good thought about keeping the home well.
In many homes, whatever was bought is placed before the Goddess in the evening, marked with turmeric and kumkum, and used from the next day. It might be a gold piece or half a kilo of coriander seeds; the value matters less than the feeling of welcoming it home.
Homes that buy coriander seeds often keep a spoonful in the puja and sow it in a pot the next day. Soak the seeds overnight, crush them lightly with your palm so they split in two, sow them half an inch deep and sprinkle a little water daily. Green shoots appear in ten to fifteen days, and some see this greenery as a sign of plenty. Give the watering job to the children and the festival stays green in the house for weeks.
How to Remember Dhanvantari
The 8th Skanda of the Bhagavatam (verses 31–35) describes Dhanvantari rising from the milky ocean with the pot of nectar. Linking that emergence to Trayodashi is a later custom. People pray to him on this day for illness to stay away and for the family’s well-being.
The Bhagavatam also describes his form: a dark body, yellow garments, a garland, earrings, and in his hands a pot full of nectar. If you have no picture of him, you can hold this image in mind. Since 2016, the Ministry of AYUSH of the Government of India has observed Dhanteras as National Ayurveda Day, so the day’s link with health now has official recognition too.
No elaborate puja is needed. If you have his picture, offer two flowers and bow. If not, remember him before Vishnu’s picture, since Dhanvantari is considered a form of Vishnu. If you do not know a mantra, offer flowers or akshatalu while repeating “Om Dhanvantaraye Namaha” eleven times.
One more act fits the spirit of the day. Check whether the elders at home have enough of their medicines and whether any check-up has been postponed. Prayer to Dhanvantari is a matter of faith and never a substitute for a doctor.
When to Light Lamps and Do the Puja in Hyderabad
For other cities, see the series pillar guide. Specifically for Hyderabad, the Dhanatrayodashi puja on 6 November 2026 is favourable between 06:15 PM and 08:14 PM (Pradosha Kalam is 05:43 PM to 08:14 PM). Both the puja lamp and the Yama Deepam are lit in this window.
Pradosha Kalam is the twilight period after sunset. If you get home late from work, ask someone at home to light at least the Yama Deepam within this window; the rest of the puja can wait until you arrive. Sunset in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati differs from Hyderabad by a few minutes, so follow your local panchangam or the pillar guide.
How to Light the Yama Deepam Outside
The Karthika Masa Mahatmyam of the Skanda Purana asks for a lamp placed outside the house, facing south, on the evening of Trayodashi. South is regarded as the direction of Yama. The belief behind it is a wish that untimely death stays away from the family. Treat the result the text describes as a matter of faith, not a guarantee. It is enough to see it as a lamp lit for everyone at home to stay safe.
- First, clean a small space outside your main entrance and sprinkle some water.
- Take an old clay lamp (not a new one) or a lamp made from wheat dough.
- Fill the lamp with sesame oil and place a thick wick inside.
- Position the lamp so that the flame faces the South direction.
- After lighting the lamp, step back inside your home without looking back at it.
No old lamp? Knead a little wheat or rice flour with water and press it into a small cup in your palm. About two spoons of oil, half filling the lamp, is enough. If it burns for at least half an hour, you have done it right.
People often ask why one should not look back. The idea is that the lamp offered to Yama is left with him as you step inside. If the wind blows it out, there is nothing to fear; simply light it again. It is not a bad omen.
Your door need not face south. Wherever the door faces, place the lamp outside the threshold so that its flame points south. Use the compass on your phone, or remember that south is to your left when you face the setting sun in the west. In an apartment, choose a safe spot outside your door, away from where people walk and away from paper, dry leaves and the shoe rack. On a windy evening, shield it with a piece of cardboard or a small clay wall.
An old lamp, two spoons of oil and a south-facing flame are all the Yama Deepam needs.
A Simple Plan for the Whole Day
Arranging all of this into one day makes it easier. It is not a rule, just a simple version of what many Telugu homes do.
In the morning, clean the house and draw a rangoli (muggu) at the main door. If cleaning the whole house in one day is too much, focus on three places: the puja area, the main door and the kitchen. Many homes also begin applying turmeric and kumkum dots to the threshold from today, and polish old brass and copper vessels with tamarind.
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In the afternoon, gather the lamps, wicks and oil for all five days in one basket, and set aside an old lamp, a thick wick and sesame oil for the Yama Deepam.
In the evening, light the lamp at the puja place during Pradosha Kalam, place what you bought before the Goddess, and then set the Yama Deepam outside. Keep the children close and tell them simply that this lamp is for the family’s safety.
After dinner, ask the elders how the day was observed when they were young, and note it down for next year. Before bed, check that the Yama Deepam has gone out safely. It is best left to burn out; if you must put it out, close it gently from the side rather than waving at it. Clean the lamp the next morning and keep it aside.
One Thing to Do Today
Before evening, keep an old clay lamp, a thick wick and two spoons of sesame oil ready at the door, and light the Yama Deepam as soon as Pradosha Kalam begins.
In the Next Part
On Diwali Amavasya, most homes cannot find a priest. How do you perform Lakshmi Puja at home on your own, why is Ganapati worshipped first, and what if you do not know the mantras? The next part answers these questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is buying gold mandatory on Dhanatrayodashi?
No, scripturally it is not mandatory. Buying gold is a public belief. You should celebrate based on your financial capacity.
Which direction should the Yama Deepam face?
The Yama Deepam should be placed outside the home with the flame facing the South direction, dedicated to Lord Yama.
What is the puja timing for Hyderabad?
For Hyderabad, the favorable time for Dhanatrayodashi puja on 6 November 2026 is between 06:15 PM and 08:14 PM.
Should I use a new lamp for Yama Deepam?
No, conventionally an old clay lamp or a lamp made of dough is used for the Yama Deepam.
What do Telugu families typically buy on this day?
Telugu households commonly buy coriander seeds, jaggery, sea salt, and new clay lamps for the Diwali festival.
Sources
Drik Panchang – Dhanteras Puja Timings
Information checked: 21 October 2026. Dates and times follow Drik Panchang; final check on 5 November.
