Akshaya Tritiya 2027अक्षय तृतीया

When is Akshaya Tritiya?

Observed on Shukla Tritiya, Vaishakh month. Dates follow the Panchang for New Delhi and can differ by a day in other places — check the Panchang for your city.

What Akshaya Tritiya means

Akshaya Tritiya, also called Akha Teej, falls on the third day of the bright half of Vaishakha. 'Akshaya' means that which never diminishes, and the Puranas — the Matsya Purana among them — say that whatever is given, offered or begun on this day bears fruit that does not run out.

It is one of the few days counted as 'swayam siddha' or 'abujh' muhurat: auspicious by its own nature, so that weddings, griha pravesh, starting a business or beginning study need no further muhurat. Above all it is a day of daan — giving water, grain, clothes, umbrellas, fans and footwear, the things that bring relief in the heat of early summer.

In recent decades the day has become famous for buying gold, a custom that grew with the jewellery trade. The older tradition puts the emphasis on giving rather than buying: what is 'akshaya' is the merit of a good act, not the price of a purchase.

The story of Akshaya Tritiya

Many beginnings are associated with this day in tradition. Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, is said to have been born on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, and Parashurama Jayanti is kept on or around Akshaya Tritiya. Some traditions count it as the first day of the Treta Yuga.

A popular account says that Vyasa began dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesha on this day. Another tells of Sudama, Krishna's poor childhood friend, who came to Dwarka with a little handful of beaten rice; Krishna received him with love, and Sudama returned to find his hut turned into a palace.

The Akshaya Patra, the vessel that never empties, is also linked with the day in popular telling. In the Mahabharata it is Surya who gives Yudhishthira this vessel during the Pandavas' exile, so that they can feed all who come to them — a fitting image for a festival of giving.

Akshaya Tritiya puja vidhi, step by step

A simple Akshaya Tritiya puja of Vishnu and Lakshmi for home, with the daan that is the heart of the day. Family customs vary — some worship Parashurama or Kubera as well.

What you need

• An image of Vishnu (or Lakshmi-Narayana) and Lakshmi
• Water, sandal paste, roli, akshat, tulsi leaves, flowers and a garland
• A ghee diya and incense
• Naivedya: kheer, sattu, barley (jau), cucumber, mango and other seasonal fruit
• Items for daan: a pot of water (jal kumbh), grain, clothes, an umbrella, a fan, footwear, jaggery or sattu

When to do the puja

Akshaya Tritiya is kept on the day Tritiya tithi prevails in the morning (purvahna). In 2027 it falls on Sunday, 9 May; Tritiya ends in the morning of that day, so the puja and daan are best done early. Check the Panchang for your city. See the Panchang for your city.

Steps

1. Early bath. Bathe early — in a river or tirtha if you can — and take a sankalp for the puja and daan.
2. Worship Vishnu and Lakshmi. Offer water, sandal, tulsi (to Vishnu), flowers and a diya. Chant 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya' or read the Vishnu Sahasranama, and the Shri Suktam for Lakshmi.
3. Naivedya. Offer kheer, sattu, barley and seasonal fruit. In many homes cooling foods — cucumber, mango, panna — are offered for the coming summer.
4. Daan. Give a pot of water, grain, clothes, an umbrella, a fan or footwear to someone in need or to a temple. Many also set up drinking-water stalls (pyau) on this day.
5. Remember the ancestors. Some families offer tarpan to their ancestors with water and sesame.
6. Begin something good. Start a new study, practice, business or charitable commitment — the day is chosen for beginnings that should grow and never fade.

Offerings & food: Watermelon, cucumber, mango, kheer, sattu, sweet drinks

Mantras for Akshaya Tritiya

Akshaya Tritiya across India

Gangotri and Yamunotri open for the Char Dham season (Kedarnath and Badrinath open around this time on announced dates), Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra chariots begin construction, Jains who keep the year-long Varshitap fast break it with sugarcane juice

Uttarakhand (Char Dham)

The portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri open for the season on Akshaya Tritiya. Kedarnath and Badrinath open around the same time, on dates announced each year.

Odisha

Construction of the three chariots for the Puri Rath Yatra begins on Akshaya Tritiya, and the Chandan Yatra of Jagannath starts. Farmers begin sowing with the ritual of Akhi Muthi Anukula.

Vrindavan

At the Banke Bihari temple, the feet of Thakurji are shown to devotees (charan darshan) only on this one day of the year.

Simhachalam (Andhra Pradesh)

At the Chandanotsavam, the sandalwood covering of Varaha Narasimha is removed and devotees have nija roopa darshan, once a year.

Jain tradition

Jains mark the day when Bhagavan Rishabhadeva broke his year-long fast with sugarcane juice; those who keep the year-long Varshitap fast break it on Akshaya Tritiya, notably at Palitana and Hastinapur.

Karnataka

Basava Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the twelfth-century saint-reformer Basavanna, is celebrated on Akshaya Tritiya.

Prayers to recite

Do’s and don’ts

Temples to visit for Akshaya Tritiya

Badrinath TempleBadrinath, UttarakhandKedarnath TempleKedarnath, UttarakhandGangotri TempleGangotri, UttarakhandYamunotri TempleYamunotri, Uttarakhand

Frequently asked questions