Akshaya Tritiya, or Akha Teej, is the third day of the bright fortnight of Vaisakh. It comes just after the wheat harvest, when Punjab's farmers have been paid, and so it is a day of buying: gold, a tractor, land. It is also a sava, a day on which a wedding needs no astrologer, and marriage halls are booked out months ahead.
The story
What is done today is held to be akshaya, never diminishing. It is the birthday of Parshuram, and the day the Ganga is said to have come down to earth.
In the hills north of Punjab the day opens the pilgrimage season: the doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri are unsealed after the winter.
How it is kept
- GoldBought as a beginning of savings for a daughter's wedding.
- WeddingsHeld in great number.
- DaanWater pots, sattu and fans are given in the heat.
- ChhabeelStalls of sweetened water for passers-by begin for the summer.
Why this date
Akshaya Tritiya is the Tritiya of the bright fortnight of Vaisakh, on the day it is present at midday.
Akshaya Tritiya in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Thursday | |
| 2029 | Wednesday | |
| 2030 | Sunday | |
| 2031 | Thursday |
More Punjabi festivals
14 AprilVaisakhiਵਿਸਾਖੀ
20 AprilHanuman Jayantiਹਨੂੰਮਾਨ ਜਯੰਤੀ
14 JulyDevshayani Ekadashiਦੇਵਸ਼ਯਨੀ ਇਕਾਦਸ਼ੀ
15 AprilRam Naumiਰਾਮ ਨੌਮੀ
18 JulyGuru Purnimaਗੁਰੂ ਪੂਰਨਿਮਾ
17 AugustRakhriਰੱਖੜੀ
Where to see Akshaya Tritiya
In Punjab
- Guru Bazaar, AmritsarPunjabThe old jewellers' market beside the Golden Temple.
- Sarafa Bazaar, LudhianaPunjabThe gold market of Punjab's largest city.
- Durgiana Temple, AmritsarPunjabLakshmi Narayan's temple on its lake.
Across India
- Gangotri and YamunotriUttarakhandThe Himalayan shrines open for the year.
- VrindavanUttar PradeshThe feet of Banke Bihari are shown on this one day.
- PuriOdishaWork begins on the Rath Yatra chariots.