Akshaya Tritiya is associated with all of these, but the primary association of Akshaya Tritiya is with prosperity. There are several beliefs (mainly in oral traditions) of prosperity associated with Akshaya Tritiya. Mata Lakshmi emerged from Ksirasagara and was declared the deity of wealth and prosperity on this day. Krishna transformed Sudama’s hut into a palace. Kubera was assigned the job of treasurer of devatas. Vishwamitra and other great sages observed the Lakshmi Vrat. Mata Annapurna appeared before Shiva and offered him a bountiful meal on this day. Source. Vanamaali. Akshaya Tritiya.

Picture – Raja Ravi Varma painting of Annapoorani

Akshaya means “endless” or “inexhaustible.” Tritiya refers to the third day of Vaisakha Shulka Paksha. It is one of the most auspicious festivals and is celebrated with fasting, worship of Vasudeva with aksata (rice grains) and donations. Whatever is donated or uttered or sacrificed on this day becomes inexhaustible. A fast undertaken on this day yields inexhaustible results.

We will find this theme of “endless” or “inexhaustible” being a central part of many beliefs about this festival, later on in the quiz. Source: P. V. Kane. History of Dharmashastras.

Picture – Mahalakshmi emerging from Ksirasagara

Four festival days are considered the most auspicious. Akshaya Tritiya is considered as the ½ of this group. The other three are Diwali, Dussehrah and Gudi Padwa (new year as per lunar calendar). If Akshaya Tritiya is observed as per rules even once, it yields the benefits of having performed all tritiyas. A complete fast on Akshaya Tritiya is equivalent to the benefit of having performed a Rajasuya sacrifice.

Narada describes the auspiciousness of this day. King Ambarisa was extremely content with the wealth, the kingdom, his subjects and his relatives. He asked Narada what is the reason for his abundance. Narada explained that in his previous birth, he was a goldsmith named Devadasa. He was in love with a dasi, Rupavati. She was pious and requested Devadasa to make a golden murti of Vishnu for offering to a Brahmana on Akshaya Tritiya. Devadasa did so dutifully. She donated the murti to a Brahmana and also asked Devadasa to perform the rituals of Akshaya Tritiya. Devadasa did so willingly. As a result of sincere observation of Akshaya Tritiya, both were reborn as a royal couple with abundance. Source: RK Math. Hindu Festivals and Sacred Days. Matsya Purana. Padma Purana.

Picture – Subh Muhurat

The char dhams in Himalayas close for winter around Deepavali. The deities are taken to lower altitudes. They re-open in summer. Gangotri and Yamunotri re-open on the Akshaya Tritiya day. Kedarnath and Badrinath open a few days later. The association of Ganga with Akshaya Tritiya is very strong. It is also believed that Ganga descended on earth on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. As observed earlier, the association of Akshaya Tritiya with endless or inexhaustible matters (like the ever flowing Ganga) is very strong. Source: Government of Uttarakhand.

Picture – Route to Gangotri

Rishabhadeva is the first Tirthankara of Jains and is therefore also knows as Adinatha. He is believed to be the first King in a new social polity and is believed to have ruled from Ayodhya. He renounced his kingdom and led an austere life. He started fasting that lasted thirteen months. In the last six months of his fast, he declined food offered to him by people since it was not suitable for an ascetic. After thirteen months he entered Hastinapur, where King Shreyansa offered him sugar cane juice which is fit for an ascetic. This was the first food he had taken after starting his austere life. The day of breaking the fast was Akshaya Tritiya.

Even today, Jains observe fasting on alternative days and end the fast at Hastinapura on Akshaya Tritiya. This fast is known as Varsi Tapa. Source: Natubhai Shah. Jainism. The World of Conquerors.

Picture – Adinath receiving sugarcane juice from Shreyansa

Indradyumna was the King of Avanti. He was blessed to build the Puri Jagannath temple and to sculpt the deities. The making of the chariot for the Rath Yatra also starts on the Akshaya Tritiya day. The King Indradyumna appointed an acharya for the construction of the chariot on Akshaya Tritiya. The acharya himself will cut part of a tree and then ask a carpenter to carry out the rest of the work. Lord Jagannath also prescribed the festivals and rituals the King should follow at the temple and mentioned that on Akshaya Tritiya, the deity should be smeared with an abundance of sandalwood.

Interestingly, in another temple at Simhachalam (near Vishapakatnam), south of Puri, a different ritual related to sandalwood application takes place. The Narasimha deity is always covered with sandalwood and therefore full darshan is not possible at any day of the year. On Akshaya Tritiya day alone, the sandalwood paste is removed and the devotees can have the darshana of Narasimha Swamy. Source: Skanda Purana; MV Satyanarayana. Sri Jagannatha Kshetra Mahatyam.

Pictrue – Indradyumna Sarovar at Puri

Parasurama Jayanti is also celebrated as he is believed to have been born to Jamadagni and Renuka on Akshaya Tritiya. Strictly obeying his father’s command, Parasurama kills his mother. A grief stricken Parasurama is offered a boon by his father and he requests that his mother be revived. Later on, the son of a Kshatriya kills Jamadagni and Renuka commits Sati. Parasuram goes on to kill all the Kshatriyas in revenge twenty one times.

There is a lake in Himachal Pradesh called Renukaji which is believed to be the birthplace of Parasurama. Renuka is also believed to have jumped into the lake to kill herself after the death of Rishi Jamadagni. The lake is believed to be the physical form of Renuka and when look at from top, appears like a woman curled up. A nearby hillock overlooking the lake is believed to be the place where Rishi Jamadagni did tapas. There is also a smaller lake called Parasurama lake and there are temples to Renuka and Parasurama around the lake.

Chiplun in Maharasthra, Thiruvallam in Kerala and Nirmand in Himachal Pradesh also have important Parasurama temples. After killing the Kshatriyas, Parasurama threw his axe into the sea to create a land that he could rule. The sea retreated from the land south of Gokarna in Karnataka. Therefore, this region stretching from Gokarna in Karnataka and southwards in Kerala is believed to be Parasurama Kshetra. Source: P. V. Kane. History of Dharmashastras. Government of Himachal Pradesh.

Picture – Renukaji lake in Himachal Pradesh

Akshaya Patra is an annadhana initiative mainly focussed on school children. It was promoted by the Dasas of ISKCON. However it runs as an independent entity. It feeds more than 22.5 lakh children a day. Since inception, it has served more than 400 crore nutritious meals. It operates in more than 16 States and 75 locations. It runs several kitchens and serves more than 23,000 schools. It is funded by donations that it receives and mid-day meal schemes of the Government, in almost equal proportions. Source; Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Picture – Akshaya Patra mechanised kitchen

When Pandavas leave for the forest, some Brahmanas with their relatives decide to follow Pandavas. Yudishtira is concerned about how to feed them when the Pandavas themselves are in exile. Pandava’s purohit, Dhaumya tells Yudishtira that Surya provides for everyone and asks him to approach Surya. Yudishtira performs Diwakara Puja. A pleased Surya appears before Yudhistira and assures that there will be no shortage of four kinds of food in the Pandava’s kitchen – fruits, roots, meat and vegetables.

In the Critical Edition of Mahabharata, Akshaya Patra does not feature. In other versions and in popular stories, Surya gifts Yudishtira the Akshaya Patra which will provide endless supply of food, as long as it has not been completely emptied. Later on, when Durvasa muni visits Pandavas with his retinue, Draupadi is frightened as she had already eaten and emptied the vessel. She prays to Krishna who spots a morsel of food still left in the Akshaya Patra. He eats the morsel. Miraculously Durvasa and his disciples also feel satiated at the same time. Source; Arjun Bharadwaj and Hari Ravikumar. Essential Mahabharata

Picture – Rock art believed to be Pandavas and Draupadi with Akshaya Patra at Amba Teerth, Karnataka

Treta Yuga started on Akshaya Tritiya. Anything that is done on this day, whether it is bathing, donations, japa, study, shrarth all become inexhaustible. The dictation of Mahabharata by Vyasa to Ganesha is also believed to have started on Akshaya Tritiya. This is not part of the Critical Edition of Mahabharata. However, it underscores the auspiciousness associated with Akshaya Tritiya. Source: P. V. Kane. History of Dharmashastras.

Picture – Pattachitra painting of Dasavaratha that spans all yugas.