Also known as: Akha Teej, Akti, Parashurama Jayanti · Observed: Across India
Significance of Akshaya Tritiya
Akshaya means imperishable, that which never decreases. Akshaya Tritiya, the third lunar day of the bright half of Vaishakha, is believed to be a day on which the fruit of any good deed, whether charity, japa, homa, worship or study, remains undiminished forever. It is one of the sade-teen muhurtas, the three and a half most auspicious days of the year, when weddings, house-warmings, business openings and other new beginnings can be undertaken without consulting the almanac for a separate muhurta.
In recent times the day has become strongly associated with buying gold and silver, in the belief that wealth acquired on this day will grow. Traditionally, however, the emphasis falls on giving rather than acquiring: the Puranas recommend donating water pots, fans, umbrellas, footwear, grain, curd rice and clothing, all useful in the heat of the season.
Legends of the Day
Many sacred events are linked with this tithi. It is celebrated as the birthday of Parashurama, the sixth avatara of Vishnu. The Treta Yuga is said to have begun on Akshaya Tritiya. Tradition holds that the river Ganga descended to earth on this day, and that Vyasa began dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesha. In the Mahabharata, during the Pandavas' exile, the Sun god gave Yudhishthira the akshaya patra, a vessel that supplied unlimited food until Draupadi had eaten. A popular story tells how Krishna's poor childhood friend Sudama visited him with a handful of flattened rice and returned to find his hut transformed into a mansion. Kubera is believed to have received his position as treasurer of the gods by worshipping Shiva on this day.
How Akshaya Tritiya Is Celebrated
Devotees bathe early, worship Vishnu and Lakshmi with tulsi leaves, sandal paste and yellow flowers, and offer barley or rice. Giving to the needy is considered the most important act. At Badrinath, the temple doors reopen after winter around this time, and in Puri the construction of the chariots for the Ratha Yatra begins on Akshaya Tritiya, along with the Chandan Yatra in which the deities are taken out on boats and anointed with sandal paste. At the Simhachalam temple near Visakhapatnam, the sandal paste covering Lord Varaha Narasimha is removed on this day alone for the Nijaroopa darshan.
Jains observe the day as the end of the year-long fast of Rishabhadeva, the first Tirthankara, who broke it with sugarcane juice; Jain devotees who perform varshitap conclude their fast in the same way. In Rajasthan, Akha Teej is a traditional day for weddings, and in Odisha farmers begin ploughing.
How the Date Is Determined
Akshaya Tritiya is Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, the third tithi of the bright fortnight of Vaishakha. The observance is fixed on the day when Tritiya prevails during the forenoon (purvahna), when worship and charity are performed. If Tritiya touches the forenoon on two days, almanacs generally prefer the day on which it lasts longer. It is considered especially auspicious when it coincides with Rohini nakshatra or falls on a Wednesday.
Rituals and customs
- Early bath and worship of Vishnu and Lakshmi
- Charity of water pots, fans, umbrellas, grain and clothing
- Buying gold or silver as a symbol of lasting prosperity
- Starting new ventures, weddings and house-warmings
- Parashurama Jayanti worship
- Sandal paste offerings to deities