Dhanteras 2027 falls on Wednesday, October 27, the first day of the five-day Diwali festival.
The general timing
Buying gold, silver, new brass or copper utensils, and worshipping Dhanvantari are considered auspicious during Pradosh Kaal and Trayodashi tithi. Pradosh Kaal starts at sunset and runs for roughly two hours and 24 minutes. So the shopping window is tied directly to when the sun sets in your city, not a universal clock time.
For NRI families, this means the Dhanteras shopping muhurat in London is different from the one in Chicago, which is different from the one in Sydney. The principle stays consistent across all locations: buy during Pradosh Kaal while Trayodashi tithi is active, and avoid Rahu Kaal within that window.
What’s traditionally bought
Gold or silver coins and jewellery, new brass or copper utensils, and an idol of Lakshmi-Ganesh are traditional purchases. Buying a broom is considered a symbolic way of sweeping away poverty.
There’s a logic to each item. Gold and silver represent Lakshmi’s blessings and the preservation of wealth. Utensils represent the sustenance of the household. The broom is specific to this day’s legend: the goddess Lakshmi is said to enter homes that are clean and well-lit, so a new broom signals readiness to welcome her.
A detail many people miss: Dhanteras is also considered an auspicious day to clear old debts. If you owe money, tradition favors settling it before Diwali begins, and Dhanteras marks that starting line.
What about online purchases?
This question comes up every year. If you’re ordering gold coins from a website or buying silver jewelry online, the timestamp of the order placement is what matters. Place the order during your local Pradosh Kaal window. The delivery date is irrelevant from a muhurat perspective, since the act of purchase (the exchange of money) is the ritual event.
For those buying from Indian jewelers while living abroad, many shops in India now offer video calls during Dhanteras so you can “select” the item in real-time during muhurat, with physical pickup or shipping handled later.
The Dhanvantari connection
Dhanteras evening also includes a puja to Lord Dhanvantari, the deity associated with Ayurveda and good health. This is why the Government of India declared Dhanteras as National Ayurveda Day. In households where someone is dealing with health issues, the Dhanvantari puja holds particular significance. The puja involves lighting a diya facing south (Yama Deepam) at the main entrance, a tradition meant to ward off untimely death.
What not to buy on Dhanteras
Just as certain purchases are considered auspicious, a few are traditionally avoided. Sharp objects like knives and scissors are generally not bought on this day. Iron and steel items are also sometimes avoided in favor of the traditional brass, copper, silver, and gold. These aren’t hard rules, they vary by region and family tradition, but they come up often enough that they’re worth mentioning.
Glass items are another traditional avoid, though this one is less widely observed. The reasoning traces back to the idea that breakable items on an auspicious day carry an unfavorable symbolism.
Check your city’s timing
Check the muhurat page with your city selected for that day’s sunset and Rahu Kaal, and shop outside Rahu Kaal. You can confirm Trayodashi tithi timing on the panchang page for your location.