All you need to know about Akshaya Tritiya

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All you need to know about Akshaya Tritiya

A woman purchasing gold jewellery on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. (PTI)

The auspicious festival is being celebrated on May 9 this year.

Widely known as ‘Akha Teej’, Monday is a day of celebration for Hindus and Jains as the festival of Akshaya Tritiya is believed to bring with it, a lot of good luck and prosperity. This is a popular occasion as the birth of Lord Parasurama is celebrated, who is the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He reclaimed land from the sea, as stated in the Puranic scriptures.

The significance of this festival is highlighted as it is the only ‘Tithi’ which is never absent from the lunar calendar. Akshaya Tritiya, hence, becomes one of the most auspicious days for marriages. Beginning new ventures is often encouraged on this day.

Odisha rings in the day by beginning the construction of chariots for the Rath Yatra at Puri

Representational image

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Rajasthani artists take part in an awareness campaign against child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya in Bikaner in Rajasthan on Sunday. Image Courtesy: PTI

Significance for Hindus

The Hindu community really looks forward to celebrating this festival, as it holds multiple religious connotations for them. Besides the worship of the symbolic Lord Vishnu, this was the day when Vyasa is popularly believed to have begun writing the epic Mahabharata.

Besides this, Hindu mythology says that the river Ganges, considered holy by Hindus, descended from heaven on to Earth on this day. A dip in the same river at this time is considered to be auspicious.

To commemorate this festival, fasts are kept and pujas are held. People also donate rice, ghee, sugar, salt, vegetables or clothes to charity.

Significance for Jains

It is believed to be the day when the method of “ahara charya”, through which Jain monks are served, was established. The Jain community celebrates this occasion by drinking sugarcane juice to mark the end of their ‘tapasya’. The festival is symbolised by Lord Adinata, also known as ‘Rishabhdeva’ who had ended his fast by accepting sugarcane juice, and hence the practice has been established by Jains.

Akshaya Tritiya and the purchase of gold

The festival of Akshaya Tritiya is considered particularly auspicious for buying gold. This year, however, the sales are projected to decrease, owing to a delayed wedding season and most importantly, a rise in price of the metal. The price of gold is almost 10% higher now than it was in April 2015, and will probably contribute to decreased sales. Jewellers therefore, have taken up aggressive advertising to ensure a good sale period. The drought situation in several parts of the country may also cause demand to dwindle.

Also Read – Akshaya Tritiya: E-tailers see six-fold growth in sales, jewellery stores not too upbeat

Auspicious timings for the festival

Beginning of Tritiya Tithi: 17:51, May 8, 2016

End of Tritiya Tithi: 14:52, May 9, 2016

Akshaya Tritiya Puja Muhurat: 6.10 to 12.35 (6 hours, 24 minutes)

Source: DNA