Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday 6 November. Most lists of what to buy on Dhanteras open with gold, add a broom, and stop there. This guide covers what else is treated as auspicious, why each item is bought, and roughly what you will spend.
On Dhanteras the traditional buys are metal: gold, silver, and new brass or copper vessels. If you are skipping gold, a brass diya, a copper bottle or a handcrafted brass piece carries the same intent at a smaller price.
TL - DR
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Dhanteras 2026 is Friday 6 November, two days before Diwali.
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Brass and copper are the usual alternatives to gold, tied to the metal pot Dhanvantari is said to have carried out of the Samudra Manthan.
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Handcrafted metal, Dhokra from Bastar, Bidri, Meenakari and Sambhal brass, meets the same custom and keeps the money with the makers.
Why do we buy metal on Dhanteras?
Dhanteras marks the day Lakshmi and Dhanvantari are said to have risen from the churning of the ocean, with Dhanvantari holding a metal pot of amrit. Buying new metal, and a vessel in particular, repeats that moment of abundance entering a home.
The name comes from dhan, meaning wealth, and teras, the thirteenth day of the lunar fortnight. The day is also called Dhantrayodashi. In the story of the Samudra Manthan, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Dhanvantari both emerge from the ocean, Dhanvantari carrying the knowledge of Ayurveda and a pot of amrit. On Dhanteras, families worship Lakshmi, Kuber and Dhanvantari together.
One widely repeated belief holds that the pot Dhanvantari carried was brass, and that is how brass vessels came to sit near the top of the Dhanteras shopping list. Whether or not a household tells the story that way, the practice is the same: something new, and made of metal, comes into the house.
There is a small custom attached to it. A newly bought vessel is filled with water, rice or something sweet before it is carried indoors, rather than brought in empty. That is worth knowing before you pick which metal to buy.
Which brass items are good to buy on Dhanteras?
Brass diyas, lamps, puja thalis, urlis and small brass decor are the usual Dhanteras buys. They get used the same week, they last for decades, and they cost a fraction of a gold coin. Light them on Dhanteras and they carry straight through Diwali.
A brass diya is the simplest place to start, and the one most homes need more of. A puja thali is the next, since it is handled every day and a brass one outlasts a steel one. An urli, the wide shallow bowl kept filled with water and flowers, works as a Dhanteras buy and as part of your Diwali decoration ideas for the entrance. Brass T-light holders do the same job in a smaller space.
Brass is also worked as jewellery in India, not only as vessels. The brass metal craft collection on My E-Haat carries Sambhal brass, a metalwork tradition from the Mughal era, in the form of cuffs, hasuli necklaces, T-light holders and home pieces. A Brass Diya is listed as well, for the plainest version of this buy.
If you want the metal custom met without a large spend, brass is the category that does it.
Is copper auspicious to buy on Dhanteras?
Yes. Copper sits with brass and silver in the group of metals traditionally bought on Dhanteras, and it is usually bought as a vessel: a bottle, a jug or a glass. A copper piece is a common first purchase of the festival.
The reason given for copper on Dhanteras is the custom around bringing new metal into the house, not any health benefit. Treat the wellness claims you see around copper bottles at this time of year as marketing, and buy the piece because it is metal, it is useful and it will be used.
Copper is also the base for Meenakari, the enamel art of the Mughal era in which coloured glass is fused onto an engraved metal surface. On My E-Haat, the Meenakari Copper Bottle Diwali Gift Box is ₹2,550, which puts a copper vessel and a wrapped gift in the same purchase.
Whichever copper piece you choose, fill it before it comes inside. Water, rice or something sweet is the usual choice.
What handcrafted metal pieces make lasting Dhanteras buys?
Dhokra lost-wax brass from Bastar, Bidri inlay, Meenakari enamel and Sambhal brass are all metal crafts with centuries behind them. A handcrafted piece meets the Dhanteras custom and also keeps a craft and the people who work it in work.
Dhokra brass craft is cast by the lost-wax method, worked by the Ghadwa community in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. The tradition is dated at about 4,000 years. Figures come out small and solid: a turtle, an elephant, a horse. The Brass Turtle is ₹275, which makes it one of the easiest ways to buy handmade metal on Dhanteras rather than machine-pressed metal.
Bidri and Meenakari sit at the other end. Both are inlay and enamel work on metal, and both are collected rather than used daily. If you are reading about marble inlay, Bidri and Meenakari for the first time, start with a small piece and see how it is finished at the edges, where handwork shows most.
My E-Haat is a marketplace for handmade Indian craft made by NGO and artisan partner organisations, supported by HCL Foundation. What you pay goes back to the people who made the piece. That is the one line of self-interest in this guide, and it is the reason a Dhanteras buy here does two things at once.
What can you buy on Dhanteras other than gold and silver?
Brass and copper vessels, a new jhadu, whole dhaniya, namak, a Lakshmi or Ganesha idol and a new account ledger are all treated as auspicious buys. The list starts small, so the custom does not depend on a large budget.
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What to buy |
Why it counts |
Rough spend |
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A new jhadu, whole dhaniya and namak |
Sweeping out the old, abundance and purity, all used the same week |
Under ₹500 |
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Brass Turtle, a cast Dhokra figure |
Handmade metal, small enough to gift or keep |
₹275 |
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A brass diya, puja thali or urli |
Lit and handled through Dhanteras and Diwali, then kept for years |
₹500 to ₹2,500 |
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Meenakari Copper Bottle Diwali Gift Box |
A copper vessel and a wrapped gift in one purchase |
₹2,550 |
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Framed Meenakari Painting Diwali Gift Box |
A larger handcrafted piece for a parent or a new home |
₹4,500 |
A new jhadu, or broom, is bought as a sign of sweeping poverty and negative energy out before Lakshmi arrives. Whole dry coriander seeds, dhaniya, stand for abundance, and namak, or salt, for purity. Both go into the kitchen the same week. Idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha are bought or replaced on this day, and traders still open a new account ledger. Electronics and appliances have joined the list in recent years, for the same reason: something new, bought on an auspicious day.
What should you not buy on Dhanteras?
Many families avoid sharp objects, iron and steel, glass, plastic, black-coloured items and empty vessels on Dhanteras. These are customs rather than rules, and they vary by region and household, so follow what your own family follows.
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Commonly bought |
Commonly avoided |
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Brass, copper and silver vessels |
Iron, steel and aluminium items |
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Diyas, lamps, puja thalis and urlis |
Glass, ceramic and plastic |
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Lakshmi and Ganesha idols |
Sharp things such as knives, scissors and needles |
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A new jhadu, dhaniya and namak |
Imitation or artificial jewellery |
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A new account ledger |
Black-coloured items and empty vessels |
Two of these are worth a second look. Imitation jewellery is avoided on the reasoning that the day is about real value, not the look of it. An empty vessel is avoided for the same reason the filling custom exists: a container that comes in empty is read as the opposite of abundance. If your household has never followed either, nothing here says you should start.
When is Dhanteras 2026 and when should you shop?
Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday 6 November, two days before Diwali on Sunday 8 November. Dhanteras is the first day of the five-day festival and is also called Dhantrayodashi. Bhai Dooj closes the run on Wednesday 11 November.
Shop earlier than you think you need to. Handmade pieces are made in small numbers and packed by hand, so the last week of October is a more comfortable window than the first week of November, especially if the piece is going to another city as a gift.
What are good Dhanteras gift ideas for family?
A brass diya for parents, a copper bottle for a sibling, a Dhokra figure for a new home. The custom is to give something metal and useful rather than something expensive, so small handcrafted pieces do the job well.
For parents, a brass diya or a brass lamp for the puja corner is the safest choice, because it gets used on Dhanteras itself and then every week after. Newly-weds setting up a kitchen are better served by a copper vessel or an urli. Siblings are easy: the Meenakari Copper Bottle Diwali Gift Box at ₹2,550 arrives boxed and needs no wrapping. For in-laws, where the gift is expected to look like an occasion, the Framed Meenakari Painting Diwali Gift Box is ₹4,500. And if the budget is small, the Brass Turtle at ₹275 still counts as metal, still counts as handmade, and still counts as a gift. The same thinking carries into your wider Diwali gift ideas for the week that follows.
Dhanteras 2026: frequently asked questions
What should you not buy on Dhanteras?
Sharp objects such as knives, scissors and needles, iron, steel and aluminium, glass, plastic, black-coloured items and empty vessels are commonly avoided. These are family and regional customs rather than fixed rules, and households differ on how closely they follow them.
Why do people buy a broom on Dhanteras?
A new jhadu, or broom, is bought as a sign of sweeping poverty and negative energy out of the house before Lakshmi arrives. It is also the cheapest auspicious buy on the Dhanteras list, which is part of why the custom has held.
What are five things to buy on Dhanteras?
A metal vessel in brass or copper, a diya, a Lakshmi or Ganesha idol, a new jhadu, and whole dhaniya. Between them they cover wealth, light, worship, clearing out the old and abundance in the kitchen. None of them needs a large budget.
Can we buy copper on Dhanteras?
Yes. Copper sits with brass and silver among the metals traditionally bought on Dhanteras, usually as a bottle, jug or glass. The custom is to fill a new vessel with water, rice or something sweet before carrying it into the house, rather than bringing it in empty.
Can we buy stainless steel on Dhanteras?
Many households avoid steel and iron on Dhanteras and pick brass, copper or silver instead. Other families buy steel without a second thought. If your family follows the older custom, a brass or copper vessel is the safer choice.
Why is dhaniya bought on Dhanteras?
Whole dry coriander seeds, dhaniya, are bought in many homes as a sign of abundance, often along with namak, or salt, for purity. Both are inexpensive, both go straight into the kitchen afterwards, and neither needs planning or a budget.
Can we buy a car on Dhanteras?
Dhanteras is widely treated as an auspicious day for large purchases, including vehicles, which is why many dealerships schedule deliveries around it. The custom attaches to the day itself rather than to any particular kind of purchase, so a car and a copper pot sit under the same reasoning.
What is a good Dhanteras gift under ₹500?
A small brass or Dhokra piece fits comfortably under ₹500. On My E-Haat, the Dhokra Brass Turtle is listed at ₹275. A brass diya, a packet of dhaniya and namak, or a new jhadu also sit inside this budget and hold to the metal custom.
Before you buy
If the buy is for a new home, brass is one of the housewarming gifts that keeps getting used long after the festival is over. The brass metal craft collection on My E-Haat holds diyas, T-light holders and Sambhal brass pieces made by artisan partners.
