Inner Circle Nepal newsroom · 6 November 2026
Today, November 6 (Kartik 20, 2083), is Dhanteras — the day Tihar begins. For many Nepali families, that still means gold, silver, metal utensils and a lamp at the door. For those living in the UK, the Gulf, the US, Australia and elsewhere, it often means a video call home, a small purchase online, or simply knowing why the calendar lights up this week.
ICN’s longer culture explainer on Dhanteras sets out the stories behind the day. This short desk note is for readers who want the festival window, the core meaning, and how the first day travels with the diaspora.
The Tihar week, starting today
Dhanteras, also called Dhantrayodashi, falls on the thirteenth day of the waning moon in Kartik. The name joins “dhan” (wealth) with “teras” (the thirteenth lunar day).
The rest of the week, as reported on ICN, runs:
- Kaag Tihar — November 7
- Kukur Tihar and Laxmi Puja — November 8
- Gai Tihar — November 9
- Govardhan Puja and Mha Puja — November 10
- Bhai Tika — November 11
Dhanteras is mainly observed by Hindu communities in Nepal and India and by those living abroad. It is especially visible in urban markets and among business owners, who traditionally treat the day as the start of a favourable financial period.
Not only shopping
The day is known for buying gold, silver, jewellery and metal utensils. Many families also buy small gold or silver idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh for Tihar worship. It does not have to be expensive: a small metal utensil counts as auspicious in many homes. In the Mithila region of Madhesh, people also buy traditional brooms and coriander.
A day before Dhanteras, the Nepal Rastra Bank’s Mint Division in Baber Mahal began selling coins ahead of the festival — gold coins and silver medallions carrying images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh — with sales running through Friday, according to ICN’s earlier report.
Wealth, healing, and a lamp for protection
Three figures are associated with the day: Goddess Lakshmi (wealth and good fortune), Lord Kubera (guardian of wealth), and Lord Dhanvantari, the divine physician linked to Ayurveda. That is why the day is also known as Dhanvantari Jayanti in religious traditions — a reminder that health is treated as its own kind of prosperity.
One striking ritual is Yama Deepam: in some Hindu households, an oil lamp is placed outside the house, often facing south, to honour Yama and to pray for protection from untimely death and for the family’s well-being. The religious legend behind the lamp — a young prince saved when lamps and gold kept Yama from entering — is a wish for long life and for the safety of the people you love.
Soft diaspora angle
Plenty of young Nepalis celebrate Tihar far from home while studying or working abroad. Some still buy something auspicious; others join through family video calls and digital greetings. The forms change. The wish to stay connected to family and heritage does not.
For earlier generations, gold was savings. For younger Nepalis facing rising living costs and uncertain jobs, prosperity can also mean savings, a stable job, education and the freedom to make money decisions — and the Dhanvantari side of the festival speaks to stress, burnout and mental health that many talk about now.
The bigger idea
Behind the jewellery shops and the lamps, Dhanteras links three wishes: prosperity, health and protection. Wealth, the festival suggests, is measured not only by what someone owns, but by what they can protect, preserve and build — whether the lamp is lit in Kathmandu, London, Doha or Sydney.
Further reading: Beyond gold and silver: the stories behind Dhanteras, the day Tihar begins
