Akshaya Tritiya is the third day of the bright half of Vaisakha. Akshaya means that which does not decay, and the day is counted so wholly auspicious that no muhurtam need be looked up for anything begun on it. Today it is best known for the buying of gold. The older custom is to give: water, grain, an umbrella, a fan, in the first heat of summer.
The story
Tradition hangs a great deal on this date. Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, was born on it. The Treta Yuga began on it. Krishna turned his poor friend Kuchela's handful of beaten rice into a fortune, and gave Draupadi the Akshaya Patra, the vessel that never emptied through the Pandavas' exile.
At Simhachalam, near Visakhapatnam, it is the one day in the year when Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha is seen as he is. The image is kept covered in sandalwood paste all year; on Akshaya Tritiya the paste is removed for the Chandanotsavam, and devotees have a few hours of nijaroopa darsanam before it is covered again.
How it is kept
- GivingPots of water, buttermilk, rice, sandals and umbrellas are given away; a gift made today is held to return without end.
- GoldA little gold or silver is bought, as wealth that will stay.
- BeginningsWeddings, housewarmings, new businesses and the first ploughing are begun without consulting the almanac.
- Lakshmi pujaLakshmi and Vishnu are worshipped, often together with Kubera.
Why this date
Akshaya Tritiya is the third tithi (Tadiya) of the bright half of Vaisakha. The calendar gives the day on which it is in force at midday.
Akshaya Tritiya in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Thursday | |
| 2029 | Wednesday | |
| 2030 | Sunday | |
| 2031 | Thursday |
More Telugu festivals
15 AprilSri Rama Navamiశ్రీరామ నవమి
31 MayHanuman Jayantiహనుమజ్జయంతి
7 AprilUgadiఉగాది
14 JulyTholi Ekadasiతొలి ఏకాదశి
22 MarchHoliహోళీ
18 JulyGuru Pournamiగురు పౌర్ణమి
Where to see Akshaya Tritiya
In the Telugu states
- SimhachalamAndhra PradeshChandanotsavam: the only day of the year on which the sandalwood covering is taken off the image.
- Padmavati Temple, TiruchanurAndhra PradeshThe temple of Lakshmi as Padmavati, at the foot of the Tirumala hills.
- Ashtalakshmi Temple, HyderabadTelanganaThe eight forms of Lakshmi under one roof.
Across India
- PuriOdishaWork begins on the three chariots of the Ratha Jatra, and the Chandan Jatra opens on the temple tank.
- Yamunotri and GangotriUttarakhandThe Himalayan shrines at the sources of the two rivers open for the year on this day.
- Banke Bihari Temple, VrindavanUttar PradeshThe feet of the image, covered for the rest of the year, are shown on this one day.
- KumbakonamTamil NaduTwelve Vishnu temples bring their processional images out on Garuda together.