Dhanteras opens the five days of Diwali on Friday 6 November 2026. It is the day of Dhanvantari and Kubera, and the day Indian households buy something: traditionally gold, silver or a brass or steel utensil, and these days anything from a car to a phone. Shops in Ahmedabad stay open past midnight. This is a short, honest guide to where our work fits in that, and what to buy for the mandir and the front door so the house is ready for Lakshmi Puja two days later.

First, the honest part: resin is not metal

If the custom in your house is to buy metal on Dhanteras, buy metal. A steel glass or a silver coin does that job and we are not going to pretend a resin thali does. What we make is the second purchase, the one for the home: the thali the new diya sits in, the piece on the front door, the stand the Lakshmi idol sits on. Several customers tell us they treat the brass diyas that come with our thalis as their metal purchase; others buy a small silver item separately and choose the thali because it is what they will actually use for the puja. Both are fine. We only ask that you do not skip a tradition on our account.

For the mandir

  • A pooja thali with brass diyas. The peacock teal, purple and frosted blue thalis come with three brass diyas in pearl rings and a Ganesh or Gayatri mantra in gold, from ₹1,199 in 10 inch to ₹1,700 in 14 inch. The royal pink has five diyas for the Lakshmi Puja aarti.
  • A sinhasan for the idols. The ivory marble sinhasan, ₹2,000 plus shipping, seats a Lakshmi or Ganesh idol on a tiered gold-edged base with pearl beading. If the mandir shelf is bare on Lakshmi Puja night, this is what fixes it.
  • A roli plate. The 6 inch Ganesha roli plate at ₹699 holds kumkum and chawal in two gold cups and comes gift-boxed, so it doubles as a Dhanteras gift for the family you visit.
  • A Kanha jhula if your mandir has a Laddu Gopal: the pink pearl swing is ₹1,800 in 10 inch and ₹2,000 in 12 inch.

For the front door

Lakshmi is welcomed at the door, so the entrance gets as much attention as the mandir in the two days after Dhanteras.

  • Shubh Labh door hanging pair, ₹249, in ten colours with pearl flowers and tassels. Hung on Dhanteras, it stays up through Labh Pancham and usually until next Diwali.
  • Shubh Labh pearl pendant in 3 or 4 inch, ₹199, for a flat door or the car mirror, and the jhumka version at ₹299.
  • A name plate, if you are moving in this Diwali. It takes two to four weeks, so it is a Dhanteras purchase only if ordered by early October. See the name plate collection; prices run ₹1,499 to ₹4,000.

Kali Chaudas, Saturday 7 November

The day between Dhanteras and Diwali is Kali Chaudas in Gujarat, Naraka Chaturdashi elsewhere: an early bath, Hanuman puja, and in many families a lamp left at the crossroads in the evening. Hanuman gets a picture in a lot of homes that day. Two of our pieces are made for it:

Gifts bought on Dhanteras

Dhanteras is when most people finally buy the Diwali gifts for staff, drivers, the society watchman and the extended family. We have a separate list by budget in the Diwali return gifts guide, and a quick reminder that the bulk rates on tealight holders, roli plates and Shubh Labh hangings apply automatically in the cart from 25 or 50 pieces.

Order-by dates for Dhanteras

Standard pieces take 10 to 14 days in the studio. Working back from Friday 6 November:

  • Bulk gifting orders of 50 or more: order by 5 October.
  • Single thalis, sinhasans, plaques and frames for the rest of India: order by 16 October.
  • Within Gujarat: order by 21 October.
  • Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar: order by 24 October. Ready pieces can be delivered locally in the last week before Dhanteras.
  • Name plates: order by 8 October or plan for Labh Pancham.

And if you are one of the many people who only starts thinking about this on 4 November: message Heta on WhatsApp anyway. Small stock pieces sometimes exist, and she would rather tell you no than have you wait.