Dhanteras 2018: Dhanteras is a festival celebrated just two days before Diwali. The word Dhanteras means wealth and prosperity and all purchases made during this occasion, be it metal or jewellery are considered to be the blessings of God. The day falls during the month of Ashwin and is celebrated on the 13th day, according to the Hindu lunar calendar. This year Dhanteras has fallen on November 5, 2018, i.e. today.

On this day, people purchase gold or silver jewellery, utensils and new clothes. Goddess Lakshmi, who is regarded as the goddess of wealth, is worshiped and is believed that worshipping her brings wealth and good fortune in the house. People welcomed Goddess Lakshmi into homes by lighting diyas in their homes. Lord Kuber, the God of treasure, is also worshipped today by many.


Why do people buy gold, silver and utensils on Dhanteras?


On this day, people purchase gold or silver jewellery, utensils and new clothes. It is also considered auspicious and buying them brings good luck to every member of the family in the house.

On the other hand, as reported by the Indian Express, there is a story behind the day. The celebration takes us to the time when the horoscope of the son of King Hima revealed a cause of worry. It predicted that he would die on the fourth day of his marriage because of a snake-bite. His wife took it upon herself to defy the prediction and came up with a plan.

As per the report, she laid out all her ornaments in a basket and kept it near the door with lit lamps. The next day, when the God of Death Yama, came in the form of a serpent to bite the prince, he was dazzled by all the light and could not enter the house. So, he left the king alone. His wife’s cleverness saved him and that's why people buy gold on this day.

Therefore, Hindus considering to make new purchases, especially gold, silver, platinum and even utensils, need to remember these points while making purchases.

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• Purity of Gold:


The buyer must analyse the quality of the metal before investing in it so that there’s no regret later. The purity of gold is denoted in karats. When it is said that it is a 24 karat gold that implies that the metal is being 99.9% pure and 22 karat gold is 92% pure. Each karat of gold is equivalent to 4.2% pure gold, which means that 14 and 18 karat contains only 58.33% and 75% pure gold, respectively.


• Hallmark on jewellery:


Hallmark on metal is the standard mark is seen in most gold. A hallmark mentions the jeweller’s identification mark, year of hallmarking, karat and the stamp of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The BIS stamp is a certificate that assures the jewellery is made in accordance with the standards laid by the bureau. In addition to this, jewellers also carry their personal hallmark that includes the purity of the metal and the year of making.


• Buyback:


There are buyback options available in many jewellery shops in case the buyer wants to exchange the old jeweller with a new one. While the design and the trend may change, the value of gold remains the same. Therefore, discussing buybacks during a purchase could be a benefit.

Happy Dhanteras!