THANE: Traditional intricate rangolis, rice flour and sindoor footprints and a variety of diyas and lamps beautify the entrances of cleaned and decorated homes as citizens kick start their five-day festival of lights with Dhanteras celebrations today.Dressed in brand new festive sarees, jewellery, kurtas and other outfits, devotees throng city markets and shops for gold, gadgets and other valuables that indicate the preparation of the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi or the Goddess of wealth into the homes of devotees.From cleaning and decorating their homes to making festive faral, every member of a family plays a role in readying their home before they can welcome the Goddess of wealth.The festive atmosphere is further enhanced by the playing of bhajans that praise her. Diyas are lit and kept burning through the night to drive away evil.“Goddess Lakshmi is believed to have the power to bestow prosperity, wealth and positive energy upon her devotees and so we clean our homes to attract this energy as we seek her blessings for the coming year. We also buy a small amount of gold or some valuable to symbolize her arrival into our homes on Dhanteras,” said Rashmi Kothari, a resident of Vartak Nagar.With many families frequenting city markets, flocking to the jewellery and electronic stores and thus adding to the brisk business of the retailers, many of these stores have already begun offering them a variety of discounts.“The festive season is very auspicious for us as our sales shoot up by about 50 per cent. On Dhanteras itself our sales double. Our store has existed for the past 29 years and while we have observed a slight decline in the purchase of gold, citizens have been buying a lot of silver and other gemstones. In an attempt to attract more buyers, we are offering many discounts and offers on all jewellery, especially gold,” said S Kumawat, manager of a jewellery store in the city.As the day marks a new year for many retailers and traders, they also pay off their debts, clear their accounts and look forward to a fresh and prosperous year ahead from this first day of Diwali.“This is an auspicious festival and our sales shoot up from the first day of Diwali. On the night before Dhanteras, we shut all our old deals and transactions. We start the New Year with high profits and pray that Goddess Lakshmi blesses us with the same abundance through the year. This ritual has proven to be quite lucky for us,” said Jayesh Jain, owner of another jewellery store.Our sales shoot up from the first day of Diwali. On the night before Dhanteras, we close old deals. We start the New Year with high profits and pray that Goddess Lakshmi blesses us with the same abundance through the year

Stay updated with all the Latest Thane headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.