PM Modi wishes India a joyful, healthy Dhanteras
Synopsis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted India on Dhanteras on 6 November 2026, sharing a Sanskrit shloka dedicated to Lord Dhanvantari and praying for health, peace, and prosperity in every Indian family as the five-day Diwali season begins.
Key Takeaways
PM Modi posted Dhanteras greetings on 6 November 2026 , kicking off the Diwali festival week.
His message included a classical Sanskrit shloka dedicated to Lord Dhanvantari , Ayurveda's presiding deity.
The Prime Minister prayed for 'happiness, peace, and excellent health' for every Indian family.
Dhanteras falls on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kartik and marks the start of the five-day Diwali sequence.
Lord Dhanvantari is revered in Hindu tradition as the originator of Ayurveda and the remover of disease and death.
As millions of Indian families light their first lamps of the Diwali season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended warm Dhanteras greetings on Friday, 6 November 2026, invoking the divine grace of Lord Dhanvantari — the Ayurvedic deity of healing — for health, peace, and happiness across every home.
Writing in Sanskrit and Hindi, the Prime Minister offered the prayer: 'Namami Dhanvantarimadidevaṁ surāsurairvandita pādapadmam. Loke jarārogabhayamṛtyunāśaṁ dātāramīśaṁ vividhauṣadhīnām.' — 'I bow to Lord Dhanvantari, the primal deity worshipped by gods and demons alike, whose lotus feet are revered, who destroys the fears of old age, disease, and death in this world, and who is the bestower of diverse medicines.' The shloka is among the most widely recited Ayurvedic invocations in the Hindu tradition.
Dhanteras: where prosperity meets the prayer for good health
Dhanteras falls on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik, marking the formal opening of the five-day Diwali festival sequence. While popular observance is associated with purchasing gold, silver, and new utensils as a symbol of incoming prosperity, the theological heart of the day belongs to Lord Dhanvantari — said in Hindu scripture to have emerged from the cosmic ocean bearing a pot of nectar, and venerated as the originator of Ayurveda, India's ancient system of medicine.
Modi's message leaned into that health dimension explicitly: 'May the divine grace of Lord Dhanvantari always illuminate everyone's life with happiness, peace, and excellent health. May the unbroken lamp of joy and delight burn in every family.' The framing reflects a consistent strand in his festival messaging — grounding traditional observance in its classical spiritual meaning rather than its commercial associations.
Modi's festival outreach: a steady, deliberate rhythm
Prime Minister Modi regularly uses X to mark major Hindu festivals with extended, often Sanskrit-inflected greetings — a practice that has become a recognisable signature of his public communication. The Dhanteras post, arriving just after dawn, sets the tone for the Diwali week that follows, reaching an audience of hundreds of millions of Indians observing the festival at home and abroad.
With Diwali night celebrations and the subsequent Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj still ahead, the week ahead belongs to light, family, and the enduring wish for wellbeing that runs through every lamp that is lit.
Point of View
Ayurvedic roots. The consistent pattern of Sanskrit-inflected festival messaging serves both as cultural outreach to traditionally observant Hindus and as a soft-power statement about the civilisational pride his administration associates with India's heritage. For the Diwali season in particular, the health-and-prosperity framing of Dhanvantari aligns with the government's broader emphasis on Ayurveda and traditional medicine in public health discourse.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dhanteras and why is it celebrated?
Dhanteras is a Hindu festival observed on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kartik, marking the start of the Diwali season. It is dedicated to Lord Dhanvantari, the deity of Ayurvedic medicine, and is associated with prayers for health and the purchase of gold or silver as a symbol of incoming prosperity.
Who is Lord Dhanvantari?
Lord Dhanvantari is a Hindu deity revered as the originator of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine. He is said to have emerged from the cosmic ocean bearing a pot of nectar and is worshipped for protection from disease, old age, and death.
What did PM Modi say on Dhanteras 2026?
PM Modi wished all Indians a blessed Dhanteras on 6 November 2026, sharing a Sanskrit shloka to Lord Dhanvantari and praying that every family be illuminated with happiness, peace, and excellent health throughout their lives.
What is the Sanskrit shloka PM Modi shared on Dhanteras?
The shloka — 'Namami Dhanvantarimadidevaṁ surāsurairvandita pādapadmam. Loke jarārogabhayamṛtyunāśaṁ dātāramīśaṁ vividhauṣadhīnām' — translates as a bow to Lord Dhanvantari, the primal deity who destroys fear of disease and death and bestows diverse medicines upon the world.
When does Diwali 2026 fall after Dhanteras?
Dhanteras on 6 November 2026 opens the five-day Diwali festival sequence, with the main Diwali night of lamps, Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj following in the subsequent days of the same week.
