The word Akshaya tritiya is also known as Akti or Akha Teej is the annual spring time festival for Hindus and Jains in India and Nepal as signifying the "third day of unending prosperity”. The festival date varies and is set according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, and falls in April or May of every year in the Gregorian calendar.
Akshaya Tritiya is tremendously fortunate and sacred popular festival which carries good luck and triumph in terms of new schemes, weddings, big investments such as buying property or gold and any new beginning. It is one full auspicious muhurat out of three and a half most auspicious days of the year according to Hindu calendar.
Any new initiatives done on this day or gold purchased on this day is said to bring success and good fortune. Since gold is the incomparable symbol of prosperity, buying gold is believed to bring unending prosperity. Some of the events planned by the Hindus down the history on this day include new business ventures, weddings and long journeys.
The Satya Yug or the golden age, the first of the four yugas began on this day.---Veda Vyasa started dictating and Lord Ganesha started writing the Mahabharata epic on this day with his tusk as the pen.-Owing to the prayers of Bagiratha, the holy Ganges descended on the earth on this day.
While Pandavas were on their exile, it was on this holy day that Lord Krishna blessed them with the Akshaya Patra or the vessel that never goes empty. Several notable personalities including Basaveshwara, Ramanujacharya, Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Chinmayananda were all born on Akshaya Tritiya.
Story of Akshaya tritiya:
Legends say that it is on the Akshaya tritiya day that Lord Brahma started his work of creation. Pious Hindus that going to the Holy Ganges and paying obeisance to the departed, and offering cereals, rice, salt, milk, curd, cow, gold, land, Palmyra fronds, umbrella etc. to the needy is apt to bring in endless prosperity to the giver. As a result of all these virtues they became a king in his next birth and even then he continued with this same practice as he did in his previous birth and reached `moksha'. Kusela, a childhood friend of Lord Krishna went to see the Almighty with a pouch of puffed rice and he was in a dilemma whether to offer it or not. But the Lord snatched the pouch from him and gulped some pieces and said `Akshayam'. This magic word transformed Kusela's simple house to a magnificent palace and the Lord's poor friend became as rich as Kubera. When Draupadi was humiliated in the court of Kauravas, she cried for mercy to Lord Krishna uttered a single work `Akshayam' and her sari grew long and long to safeguard her chastity. Chandra, the Moon was cursed to wane. He ran to seek refuge in Lord Shiva and the Lord in turn gave refuge to the deformed Chandra and guarded him.
Legends and Puranas say that all the above mentioned incidents happened on this day. People believe that everything done on this day namely paying obeisance to the Divine and offerings to the poor grows in leaps and bounds eradicating ill luck from the practitioner.
Wake up before the cock crows and bathe yourself to perfection and enter your pooja room with reverence and pour ghee into the oil lamps and light them. Place a picture of Lakshminarashimar at the Centre and draw a Kollam. Place a big plantain leaf on the floor and spread rice on it and place a vessel filled with water. By making use of turmeric paste make a Ganesha and place it near the vessel and decorate it with flowers and kumkum.
Whole heartedly think of Goddess Mahalakshmi and say a prayer and offer the preparations to the Goddess. There is a belief that doing this eradicates poverty thereby paving way to prosperity.
In Mangalore also Akshaya tritiya is celebrated in pompous manner people of all classes buy gold on this particular day .It is believed that goddess Lakshmi will remain in our homes and remove the financial hurdles that we come across.