Akshaya Tritiya

About

Akshaya Tritiya falls on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, the third day of the bright half of the month of Vaishakha. Akshaya = that which never decays, and Tritiya = the third tithi. The day is believed in the tradition to give lasting results to good actions done on it, such as charity, prayer and new beginnings.

It is among the most auspicious days of the year, considered a self-complete muhurat that needs no separate time check for many purposes. Even so, the timing of the puja is best in the first half of the day, when Tritiya is present after sunrise. Check the computed time for your city.

Significance and stories

Many stories are linked to this day. It is celebrated as the birth of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, in several traditions. It is also said to mark the day when Ganga descended to earth, in some accounts, and the start of the Treta Yuga.

The Mahabharata tells that the Sun god Surya gave Yudhishthira the Akshaya Patra, a bowl that stayed full of food until Draupadi had eaten. Popular tradition recalls it on this day. Another well-loved tale tells of Sudama offering Krishna a handful of flattened rice and receiving prosperity in return, a story about humility and friendship rather than wealth.

For Jains, the day is Akshaya Tritiya for another reason: Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, ended a long fast on this day when he received sugarcane juice from King Shreyans. Jains mark it with varsitap parana, breaking a year-long alternate-day fast with sugarcane juice.

The day is also the opening of the Char Dham yatra, when the Gangotri and Yamunotri doors are opened in the Himalayas.

How to observe (puja vidhi)

1. Wake early, bathe and wear clean, preferably light, clothes. Take a sankalpa to do something good on this day.
2. Set up an image of Vishnu and Lakshmi, or of your family deity. Light a lamp and incense.
3. Offer tulsi leaves, yellow or white flowers, sandal paste, akshata (unbroken rice), and fruit. Barley, sesame and jaggery are traditional offerings.
4. Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama, a Lakshmi stotra, or "ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय" (Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya). Ask a priest or elder to guide pronunciation.
5. Offer tarpan (water and sesame) to ancestors if your family does so.
6. Give daan: water, grain, barley, sattu, fruit, clothing, an earthen pot of water, a fan or umbrella, in keeping with the hot season.
7. Perform aarti and share the prasad. Some people begin a new venture or make an investment in a modest way.

Puja items (samagri)

• Vishnu and Lakshmi image or picture
• Tulsi leaves, yellow or white flowers, sandal paste
• Akshata (whole rice), barley, sesame, jaggery
• Fruit, sweets, sattu, cucumber and mango where available
• Earthen pot of water, hand fan or umbrella for charity
• Diya, ghee, incense, camphor

Fasting and food

Fasting is not required. Many families keep a light fast until the puja and then eat a simple, cooling meal with barley, fruit, sattu drink, or jaggery water. Some avoid eating cooked grains until after the puja. Jain communities observe the sugarcane juice parana.

People with health conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and the elderly should follow their doctor's advice.

Regional customs

• North India: Charity, barley and water pots, and the opening of the Char Dham doors at Yamunotri and Gangotri; Kedarnath and Badrinath open later in the season.
• Rajasthan and Gujarat (Akha Teej): Farmers read signs for the coming monsoon. Weddings are common on this day.
• Maharashtra: Observed with worship of the family deity and offerings to ancestors in many homes.
• South India: Gold and jewellery purchase is popular, and Lakshmi puja is done in many homes. Varsitap parana in Jain communities.
• Odisha: Farmers begin sowing and the Rath Yatra chariot construction starts at Puri.

Traditions vary; follow your family's custom or your priest's guidance.

Celebrating in the USA

Akshaya Tritiya is a popular day to buy gold, and Indian jewellers in the USA often run events. If you buy gold, buy from a reputable dealer and keep receipts. A small coin or a token purchase is fully acceptable. Consider giving a donation to a food bank or a local charity instead, which many families find equally meaningful.

The puja can be done at home before work. Temples hold a Vishnu or Lakshmi puja, often on the nearest weekend. Jain centres host sugarcane juice paranas for those completing varsitap.