Akshay Tritiya

Akshay Tritiya 7/8 th May 2008

Akshay Tritiya is one of the four most auspicious days during the year by Hindu tradition and thought

Below is all you wanted to know about it and How to go about celebrating it ....

There are numerous legends associated with Akshaya Tritiya.

According to the Puranas, the day marks the beginning to Treta Yuga. On this day, Veda Vyasa began the composition of the Mahabharata.

In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas received the Akshaya Pathram (bowl) from Lord Krishna on this day. The Akshaya Pathram provided unlimited food for the Pandavas during their exile. Due to this reason, people believe that anything that is acquired on this day will be replenished.

Therefore people conduct special puja for Goddess Lakshmi and buy new gold and silver ornaments and invest money in shares and real estate.

Akshaya Tritiya, true to our rich Hindu tradition, is an auspicious day to invite Goddess Lakshmi into our homes and take her blessings for everlasting wealth and prosperity.

Akshaya Tritiya will be celebrated on 7th/8th May 2008 this year

This day is considered very sacred and auspicious and is one of the four most sacred days of the year.

Our ‘puranas’ say that this day marks the beginning of the Treta Yug. The birthday of Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, falls on this day.

It is believed that one gets ‘punya’ (merit) in life by doing good deeds on this day.

It is desirable to:

1. Donate for ‘annadanam’ in temples on this auspicious day

2. Feed cows with green fodder

3. Resolve to take up the education expenses of a deserving, needy child

4. Forgive and forget the past and renew relationships with friends and relatives

5. Resolve to give up a bad habit

6. Resolve to start a good habit - learn and practise Yoga.

The word Akshaya means that which never diminishes and new beginnings on this auspicious day are everlasting.

Akshaya Tritiya is an ideal and very auspicious day to purchase gold, silver, gems, ornaments, jewellery and valuables.

It is the best day to go for new investments like fixed deposits in Banks, Post Office Savings Scheme, and Insurance Policies etc.

It is ideal day for starting new ventures.

It is the best day to call your parents in far off places and take their blessings.

Thousands of marriages are performed on this day.

Start the sacred, auspicious day of Akshaya Trithiya on 7th/8th May 2008 by visiting temples, especially the Mahalakshmi Temple and let Goddess Mahalakshmi always shower her blessings on you throughout the year.

Doing 'daanam' (donations or gifts) and performing libations to the departed manes are considered fruitful.

During the particular time, i.e., between 1.12-3.36 p.m., one should take oil bath and perform libations.

One can worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu and the virtuous deeds done on this day will result in prosperity manifold.

It is good to gift clothes and fruits on this day.

For good education, one can offer buttermilk

and to avoid premature death, one can offer grains like wheat, etc.

Parents who wish for a good daughter-in- law or a man wishing for a wife his heart desires, can see the girl in a temple or celebrate the engagement ceremony in a temple, which will yield fruitful result.

It is believed that if a person purchases a small amount of gold (at least 1 gm), wears it at an auspicious time after keeping it in the pooja room, will accumulate more round the year.

ALL THAT GLITTER FOR AKSHAYA TRITIYA

Wealth will increase in homes where rupees and coins are kept for pooja and worshipped as Goddess Lakshmi.

Akshaya Thrithiya, the third day of the new moon of Vaishakh month (April-May), is believed to be one of the four most auspicious days of the Vedic Calendar. On this day the sun and the moon are simultaneously at their peak of brightness.

It is believed that Gold and gold jewellery bought and worn on this day signify the never diminishing good fortune.

The legends associated with Akshaya Thruthiyai are thus:

Kuchela, the poor friend Of Krishna went to see Krishna with some aval (poha) tied in his upper cloth. Kannan welcomed Kuchela happily and putting a handful of poha in his mouth uttered the word “Akshayam”.

At once, the humble abode of Kuchela became a palace & he became a very prosperous man.

Another legend is that Parasurama, the sixth avatara of Vishnu was born on this day. Many people offer tarpanams to forefathers on this day.

This is done to incur their blessings. It is very good to worship, Shiva Parvathi, Shriman Narayanan, Sri Lakhmi Devi on this day.

Lakshmi is supposed to have chosen this day to worship Lord Kubera on this day, to be blessed with Kubera Sampath.

Krutha Yuga is said on have started this day. Just like a yuga lasts for millions of years, any action done on this day is supposed to yield, benfits, multifold times.

Any new venture started on this day will last long and well. So this day is supposed to be auspicious for registering a business deal, buy a new property, open new accounts and last but not least to buy new clothes, jewellery etc.

It does not end there,

it is the most ideal day to do charity, help the physically challenged, do financial helps for higher studies for needy, deserving people as well.

It is said that giving curd rice to others improves longevity of life.

Distribution of sweets, helps to get over the obstacles in getting married.

Distribution of grains and cereals, prevents accidents and untimely death.

By giving cattle feed, prosperity will increase.

So, let us do good deeds on this auspicious day and pray for good things in life.

It is well known that Indians believe passionately in the theory of muhurts or auspicious times to perform sacraments, to make major purchases or to begin new ventures.

Inspite of modern technology and changing lifeviews, this dedication to auspicious time is a prominent feature of Indian life. Akshaya Tritiya, the third day of the bright half of Vaishakh, is considered one of the four most sacred days of the year.

The word Akshaya means that which never diminishes - hence beginnings made or valuables bought on this day are considered certain to bring luck and success.

All over India people celebrate weddings, plan new business ventures, long journeys and other events on this day.

Like Diwali, Dussera and Gudi Padva, Akshava Tritiva is reserved for buying gold, silver and other assets. On this day jewellers keep their shops open well into twilight time to entertain their buyers.

Akshaya Tritiya or Akha TeeJ is traditionally the birthday of Parshurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu. The Puranas tell how he reclaimed land from the sea along the west coast of India by his valour.

Even today Goa and the Konkan are called Parshurama Kshetra. He then settled 96 selected families there, called Shahanavkuli Brahmins, who are said to have created the cultural heritage of this part of India.

In India gold is regarded as the ultimate symbol of wealth and prosperity. Buying gold and jewellery is a popular activity on Akshaya Tritiya, one of the most auspicious days of the year

A Note : There is a thinking that this trend of buying Gold on Akshaya Tritiya is a recent phenomenon as a result of a push by the Gold Council in popularising the festivals like Akshaya Tritiya especially since the last couple of Years ...

Be that as it may, one can still consider making an investment in Gold bought on this day for future needs ...

On a lighter one may eat a little less on this day so that George Bush and Condoleeza Rice can solve at least some of their Brain oops ... Grain problems ...

Just giving you both sides of the story ...

So YOU can make a choice ...