Dhanteras, being a festival of wealth, also means inaugurations and new purchases of expensive possessions. Many Indians set up their businesses, launch new projects, hold housewarming, set wedding dates, buy cars or jewellery on this auspicious day. Dhanteras is not the actual Diwali day, but marks the beginning of the joyful Diwali celebrations. It is therefore the most anxiously awaited day of the five day festival of Diwali. Dhanteras is a good muhurat or auspicious time for buying gold, silver or jewellery. Jewellers' shops remain open late into the night and are crowded throughout the day. Houses and Business premises are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colourful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights. Believing this day to be auspicious women purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils. "Lakshmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. "Bhajans"-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung and "Naivedya" of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess. There is a peculiar custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry coriander seeds with jaggery and offer as Naivedya.
In villages cattle are adorned and worshipped by farmers as they form the main source of their income. In south cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they are adorned and worshipped on this day.