Mumbai, Oct 24 (IANS): Actress Jaya Bhattacharya has spoken about her personal connection to Dhanteras, which is the first day that marks the festival of Diwali. She said that there was always pressure to buy something for the occasion as growing up, she didn’t have much to spend.

Speaking about Dhanteras, which will be celebrated on October 29, Jaya said: “Dhanteras marks the start of lighting diyas across the country. I believe this symbolises bringing in warmth as winter approaches, a time when warmth becomes essential. It also helps ward off unwanted bugs that tend to appear during this season."

The actress added: “Cleansing the house, as well as spiritually cleansing ourselves, is an ongoing process and should be treated as such. I don't just clean for Diwali, starting with Dhanteras (or even earlier); I also make it a point to shift my furniture, even if just by an inch, to bring in new energies."

Reminiscing about how she celebrated during her childhood days, the actress said: “When I was young, my mother always made sure we bought something for Dhanteras, usually utensils, as part of the tradition. But when I moved to Mumbai, I began the tradition of buying silver coins instead.”

“Growing up, we didn’t have much to spend, so there was always pressure to buy something for Dhanteras. Today, I am filled with gratitude that I can afford to follow these traditions in my own way. As the breadwinner, I make sure to set aside funds to honour these customs.”

She said that her message to everyone is that “it’s not only important to cleanse your house and surroundings but also your inner self.”

“When sitting for pooja, try not to let your mind wander to trivial matters. Instead, focus within and let the positivity of the pooja seep into you. Outer things don’t matter as much when your inner self is at peace,” she said.

Talking about work, Jaya plays Urmila, the stepmother of Kartik and has a secret agenda against her own family in the show “Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya”, which airs on Sun Neo.