Dhanteras, the first of the five days of Diwali, is on Friday 6 November 2026 in India this year, and the evening puja muhurat in New Delhi is 6:02 pm to 7:58 pm. Many families buy something new on the day, most often a small metal item. This page sets out where the custom comes from, how the usual metals differ in daily use and care, and why buying nothing is also a full Dhanteras. The date and the muhurat for 82 cities are on the Dhanteras page, and the steps of the evening worship are on the Dhanteras puja vidhi page.
A custom, not a rule: why people buy metal on Dhanteras
The name joins dhan, wealth, with teras, the thirteenth. The day is the Trayodashi of the dark half of the month, in Ashwina by the lunar months that end at the new Moon and in Kartika by the months that end at the full Moon. In the evening families worship Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods.
One tradition says that Dhanvantari rose from the churning of the ocean on this day, holding a pot of amrita, the nectar of the gods, and so the day also honours health and Ayurveda. His pot is one reason given for bringing home a new vessel. The other is the wish to welcome prosperity: Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, and Kubera is the god of wealth and the keeper of the treasures of the gods, and the two are worshipped together on Dhanteras in many homes. In recent years the day has also become a popular one for buying gold and silver.
All of this is custom. No rule says what must be bought, and any small item counts, even a utensil you need for the kitchen. Customs differ by region and family: in Gujarat and Maharashtra businesses worship their account books and buy new ones, and in the south the day is marked with Lakshmi puja and the new utensil. If your family keeps a particular custom, follow it.
Where the new utensil goes on the evening of the puja
By custom the new utensil or coin is brought into the house before the evening and placed on the altar, and Lakshmi and Kubera are worshipped with flowers and the coin or the new utensil. After the puja a lamp with a four-faced wick, filled with mustard oil, is lit outside the main door facing south: the Yama Deepam. The Dhanteras puja vidhi gives the steps in order and the story behind the lamp.
Brass, copper, kansa, silver or steel: how they differ
| Metal | What it is | Usual Dhanteras pieces | Care in short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brass (pital) | Copper and zinc, golden in colour | Puja thaali, diya, bell, kalash, plates | Darkens with time and can be polished; cooking pots need a tin lining |
| Copper (tamba) | A pure metal, reddish in colour | Glass, bottle, water pot, kalash | Darkens and can turn green in damp; keep unlined pieces for plain water; cooking pots need a tin lining |
| Kansa (bronze, bell metal) | Copper and tin | Thaali, bowls, glass | Wash by hand and dry well; can crack if dropped on stone |
| Silver (chandi) | A precious metal | Coins, small bowls, puja pieces | Tarnishes and is polished with a soft cloth; costs the most |
| Steel (stainless) | Iron with chromium | Any kitchen utensil | No lining and no polishing; usually the cheapest |
Brass
Brass is the usual metal of the puja shelf: thaalis, diyas, bells and kalash are commonly made of it. It darkens with use, which is normal, and can be polished whenever you want it bright again. Plates and puja pieces for dry use are often left unlined, while pots meant for cooking are lined with tin inside, as the section on tin lining below explains.
If you would like a brass piece that goes on the altar this evening, this seven piece brass pooja thaali set with a diya, two small bowls, a lota and a kansa bell gathers the usual puja items on one plate.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. You buy on the seller's website.
Copper
Copper is reddish and soft, and it darkens to brown with use. In Jyotish writing it is the metal of the Sun and of Mars. Copper glasses and bottles are traditionally kept for plain water. Keep anything sour out of unlined copper, and wash and dry each piece after use.
If you choose copper, this hammered copper tumbler with a brass lid, 570 ml has a lid that keeps dust out and comes in a gift box.
Kansa
Kansa is bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, also called bell metal because bells are cast from it. It has a soft golden brown colour and is traditional for thaalis, bowls and glasses in many Indian homes. Kansa tableware is usually sold without a tin lining. Bell metal is hard and brittle, so a kansa plate can crack if it falls on a stone floor. Wash it by hand and dry it well.
If you choose kansa, this kansa thaali set for one, with a 10.5 inch plate, two bowls, a glass and a spoon is a full place setting.
Silver
A silver coin is one of the most common Dhanteras purchases, and in many homes a coin or a small silver item is kept in the puja place on Fridays, the weekday of Lakshmi. Silver tarnishes and is polished with a soft cloth. It costs far more than the other metals here, and none of it is needed for the puja.
Steel
A steel utensil you need for the kitchen is as much a new utensil as any other. Steel needs no lining and no polishing, and it is usually the cheapest choice.
Tin lining (kalai) on brass and copper cookware
Sour foods such as tamarind, tomato, lemon and curd react with bare copper and brass. For that reason pots, pans and bowls of these metals that are meant for cooking or for serving food are lined inside with a thin coat of tin, called kalai, which shows as a silver colour inside the vessel. The lining wears with use and can be renewed by a kalai worker, and scrubbing it with steel wool shortens its life. Unlined brass and copper pieces are best kept for puja, for dry food or, for copper glasses and bottles, for plain water.
If you want a lined brass pot for the kitchen, this tin lined brass patila with a lid, in 1, 3 or 5 litre sizes is one for boiling milk.
Keeping brass and copper bright
Brass and copper darken with use, and this is normal. To bring back the shine, rub the piece with lemon and salt, or with a paste of flour, lemon and salt, then rinse it and dry it at once, or use a cleaner made for copper and brass. Dry every piece after washing to avoid water marks. Kansa needs only washing by hand and drying.
If you would rather use a cleaner, this gel cleanser for copper, brass and bronze, 300 ml is plant based, the seller says.
Buying nothing is also a fine Dhanteras
Dhanteras is about welcoming care and plenty into the home, and there is no need to buy anything to keep it. A clean home, a lamp at the door and a prayer to Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari are a full observance. If you do buy something, let it be something you need and can afford, and if your family or temple keeps a different custom, follow it. Diwali itself, the Laxmi Puja evening, is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and its puja times for every city are on the Diwali page.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Do I have to buy something on Dhanteras?
No. Buying something new on Dhanteras is a custom, not a rule. A clean home, a lamp at the door and a prayer to Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari are a full observance. If you do buy something, let it be something you need and can afford.
↳ Which metal is best to buy on Dhanteras?
No metal is required. Brass and copper are the usual choices for puja pieces, kansa for plates and bowls, silver for coins, and steel for everyday cooking. Choose the one you will use.
↳ Do brass and copper utensils need a tin lining?
Pots, pans and bowls used for cooking or serving food, above all anything sour, are lined with tin (kalai). Puja pieces, plates for dry food and copper glasses or bottles kept for plain water are often unlined. Kansa tableware is usually sold without a lining.
↳ Why do people buy metal on Dhanteras?
It is a custom linked to Dhanvantari's pot and to the idea of welcoming prosperity. Any small item, even a utensil, counts, and there is no need to buy gold.
↳ When is Dhanteras 2026?
Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday 6 November 2026 in India: all 39 Indian cities on this site list it on Friday 6 November. The puja muhurat in New Delhi is 6:02 pm to 7:58 pm. Other cities are on the Dhanteras page.