Today is Dhanteras, the day Lakshmi and Dhanvantari emerged from SamudraManthana. In most hospitals and clinics in India, we find a statue of a deity holding Shankha, Chakra and Kalash. Dhanvantari, the physician of Gods, is worshipped as God of physicians.
Dhanvantari is mentioned in the Puranas as the god of Ayurveda. Most Puranas mention him to have emerged during Samudra Manthana, along with a pot of elixir in hands. Thus he is regarded as the brother of Lakshmi, who also emerged during Samudra Manthana. Some literature also call him an Avatara of Vishnu. During his incarnation on earth, he reigned as the King of Kashi. Dhanvantari is identified as the great-grandfather of Divodasa, a King of Kashi mentioned in the Vishnu Purana.
Dhanvantari is depicted as a handsome individual with four hands, with one or two of them carrying a bowl of amrita, the elixir of immortality. Dhanvantari is depicted in a stark resemblance to Vishnu, with four hands, holding the shankha, chakra, jalauka (leech), and a pot containing amrita. He is often shown with a leech in his hand rather than the scriptures, indicating the historical practice of bloodletting.
Along with the worship in clinics and Hospitals, Dhanvanatari is also worshipped in some temples. There is a Dhanvantari temple at Dapoli, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. There are a few dedicated temples to Dhanvantari in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where ayurveda is highly patronised. The Thottuva Dhanwanthari temple in Kerala is a particularly famous temple, where Lord Dhanvantari’s idol is almost six feet tall. In the courtyard of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Srirangam), there is a Dhanvantari shrine where daily worship of the deity is performed. There is a shikar style temple dedicated to the god in the Jaya Bageshwari neighbourhood of Kathmandu. The temple is near the famous Pashupatinath temple.
Dr Hima Bindu Kanoj