AKSHAYA TRITIYA OR AKSHATRIJ or YUGAADI TRITI (APRIL /MAY)
Important Information:
Occurs on the third day of the bright half of Vaisaakh.
It is considered to be one of the most auspicious
days of the Vedic Calender.
On this day the Sun and Moon are at their peak of
brightness.
Hindus, Buddhists, Jains celebrate this day.
'AKSHAYE' means 'that which does not diminish or
perish.
Every minute of the three and a half days is considered sacred.
It is believed that Satya Yuga, Golden Age and Treta Yuga started on this day.
New beginnings like weddings, business ventures, new deals, new audit books,
business trips are considered to bring luck. Ved Vyaasa dictated and Lord
Ganesha started to write the Mahabharata.
Valuables bought on this day, such as gold is deemed auspicious.
It is believed that gold multiplies if bought on
this day.
Parashurama, the personification of Valour and the
sixth Incarnation of Vishnu was born on this day.
Goddess Vijaya Chamundeshwari killed Asura on this
day.
What kind of worship is done:
Lord Vishnu is prayed to.
Tulsi water is sprinkled during Aarti.
Fasts, charity, a dip in the Sacred Rivers like the Ganga
are undertaken.
Akshaya Patram
Lord Krishna gave Draupadi a bowl called Akshaya
Patram.
This bowl gave infinite amount of food to the
Pandavas when the latter were in exile.
On Akshaya Tritiya the Pandavas unearthed weapons,
which helped the latter to gain victory over the Kauravas.
Rishabhdev (Dadi Nani ki Kahaani)
Rishabhdev was the first
Tirthankara of Jains.
It is believed that
Rishabha invented pottery,
painting, sculpture…
Rishabhdev fasted and meditated
for 6 months. After that he went out to collect food (asked for alms) .
However no one knew the
procedure of offering food to a monk.
Rishabhdev, therefore could not
get to eat for seven months and nine days.
Shreyans was the brother of King
Somaprabha. Shreyans recollected from a previous 'life' how to offer food to a
monk. Hence on the third day of the second half of Vaisaakh (Akshaya Tritya)
Rishabhdev got to break his fast.
On this day Jains break their
fast (Varsitap) by drinking sugar cane juice and visiting the main temple of Risabhdeva in Palitana.
