What is really "Akshaya Tritiya" and How the gold merchants turned it as a marketing gimmick.

Akshaya Tritiya is a Hindu and Jain holy day that comes on the lunar day (3^rd Tithi) of bright half of the Indian month of Vaishakha. It is also known as Akha Teej. The word Akshaya means never diminishing. In Hindu and Jain calendar some time days will increase or decrease, but Akshaya Tritiya day will always be in lunar calendar.

This day is celebrated with respect to a few beliefs in Indian epics.

• This day is considered as the birthday of Lord Parasurama who is the sixth incarnation (avatar) of Lord Maha Vishnu.

• This day Lord Ganesha and Veda Vyasa began to write Mahabharata.

• In Jainism this day where the first time a methodology to prepare and serve food to Jain Monks called “ahar charya”.

• Other story is that Lord Rishabhdev denounced the pleasures after dividing his kingdom to his 101 sons prominent of Gommateshwara Bahubali. Lord Rishabhdeva meditates without food and water for six months in order to attain enlightenment. He is considered as the monk of that era. The Jain monk not own anything and they even not cook food for themselves, they only taken food that offered by people. Rishabhdeva taken food from people who offer it to him. The people of Ayodhya offered him gold, jewellery, gemstones, elephants, horses, costly garments and even their daughters to honour their beloved king. He not like to accept these things, he only wanted food in order to ensure food to the followers of his ascetic life. But nobody offered food and he went to fast for one year until his son Shreyansha Kumara understood his need. Finally Shreyansha understood and offered sugarcane juice and thus the king ended his fasting. This was on the day of Akshaya Tritiya.

The jains considered as the best day for doing good offerings and they even fast to remember their King Rishabhdeva on Akshaya Tritiya. They end their fasting with sugarcane juice. In Hastinapur, the jains joined together from different parts of India and end their fasting (Ekasana Vrats) called PARANA. As per Hindus believes, this day belongs to lord Vishnu and it brings good luck and success. It is also believed, at this day Treta Yuga began and the river Ganges, the sacred river descended to the earth from heaven. As this day is considered as never diminishing day, it is the best day for doing charity.

Unfortunately, now days Jewellers have turned the purity of this day into marketing gimmick by saying that if any one purchase gold on this day, they will get good blessings throughout the year.

Akshaya Tritiya is entirely a pure day on we can start anything new ventures. Don’t think it will give blessings by buying Gold. This day gives a new starting. Do some charity work in these days.