Akshaya Tritiya, or Akha Teej, is the third day of the bright fortnight of Vaishakh. It is one of the abujh muhurats of the northern calendar, days on which anything may be begun without checking the stars, and so it is the busiest wedding day of the year in Rajasthan and beyond. Gold is bought, charity is given, and the high Himalayan shrines open after the winter.
The story
The day is the birthday of Parshuram, the axe-bearing sixth incarnation of Vishnu. It is the day Sudama, a poor Brahmin, walked to Dwarka with a fistful of flattened rice for his childhood friend Krishna, asked for nothing, and went home to find a palace.
For Jains it is the day the first Tirthankara, Rishabhdev, ended a year-long fast by accepting sugarcane juice from King Shreyans at Hastinapur.
How it is kept
- DaanWater pots, sattu, fans, umbrellas, footwear and grain are given to those who face the summer without them.
- GoldJewellers open early; even a single coin bought today is held to grow.
- WeddingsMass weddings are held with no muhurat sought; the authorities also watch the day closely to stop child marriages.
- New venturesAccount books are opened, foundations laid and, in the villages, the plough is taken out.
Why this date
Akshaya Tritiya is the third tithi of the bright fortnight of Vaishakh, on the day it is present at midday. It is thought especially powerful when it falls on a Wednesday with the star Rohini.
Akshaya Tritiya in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Thursday | |
| 2029 | Wednesday | |
| 2030 | Sunday | |
| 2031 | Thursday |
More North Indian festivals
20 AprilHanuman Jayantiहनुमान जयंती
15 AprilRam Navamiराम नवमी
14 JulyDevshayani Ekadashiदेवशयनी एकादशी
18 JulyGuru Purnimaगुरु पूर्णिमा
7 AprilChaitra Navratriचैत्र नवरात्रि
17 AugustRaksha Bandhanरक्षा बंधन
Where to see Akshaya Tritiya
In North India
- Gangotri and YamunotriUttarakhandThe doors of the two shrines open today, beginning the Char Dham Yatra.
- Banke Bihari Temple, VrindavanUttar PradeshThe only day of the year on which the feet of the image are uncovered.
- HastinapurUttar PradeshJain pilgrims end their year-long fasts here with sugarcane juice.
Across India
- PuriOdishaCarpenters begin the chariots for the Rath Yatra, and Chandan Yatra opens.
- SimhachalamAndhra PradeshThe sandal paste is removed from Narasimha for a single day.
- KumbakonamTamil NaduTwelve Vishnu temples bring their deities out on Garuda together.