AKSHAYA TRITAYA HINDU FESTIVAL

India is a land of festivals. All year round, there are a host of festivals being celebrated throughout the nation. One of such festivals is Akshaya Tritaya. The common myth associated with this festival is that it refers to just buying and selling of gold. This is a wrong notion. This specific day is considered to be auspicious due to a lot of historical reasons. Every year, Akshaya Tritaya falls on the third moon day of the Vaishakh Month, which according to the English calendar, falls between Mid-April and Mid-May. There is a lot of significance to this special day.

• Also known as Akkha Teej, it marks the birth of Lord Parshurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
• Sri Vyasa started the composition of the Mahabharata on this auspicious day.
• Lord Krishna visited the Pandavas on this day and gifted the Akshaya Patram to Draupadi.
• Sudama visited his friend, Lord Krishna in the hope of a little rice and was in turn, blessed by Krishna with Akshaya or boundless wealth.
• Many great personalities were also born during this time, like Basaveshwara, Ramanujacharya, Adi Shankaracharya, Swami Chinmayananda and the great Lord Buddha.
• The second Yuga, Treta Yuga commenced on this day.

How is Akshaya Tritaya Celebrated:

• Indians all over the country, place a lot of importance on this specific festival.  New business ventures are started on this day as it is said that this festival is very beneficial for those who want to make it big in the business sector. Even established businesses conduct puja in their shops and offices and distribute sweets in the celebration of Akshaya Tritaya.
• Marriages are also scheduled for this day as it is said that personal relationships thrive and prosper if started on this festive day.
• Giving clothes to the poor on this day is supposed to protect one from harmful illness and diseases.
• Giving fruits to the needy helps a person to fulfill his goals and ambitions in life.
• Students are said to donate milk products to the poor as it is said that this would help them excel in studies and lead to a bright academic future.
• Giving uncooked grains in charity is believed to result in peaceful death rather than an untimely one.
• Feeding curd rice to the poor on this day, helps a person to be blessed in his or her next birth.
• Purchasing or investing in gold or silver helps maintain a constant flow of wealth into the household.
• Embarking on long journeys on this day makes the journey safe and memorable.
• People also bathe in holy rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna especially on this day to garner the blessings of deities.
• Goddess Laxmi and Lord Vishnu are worshipped on this day by conducting pujas.

The word Akshaya means imperishable or eternal. Hence, this day is the ultimate symbol of wealth and financial prosperity.