About Akshaya Tritiya
Akshaya Tritiya, also called Akha Teej, is the third lunar day of the bright half of Vaishakha, a day Hindus and Jains treat as auspicious for beginnings, giving and buying gold. In 2027 it falls on Sunday, 9 May 2027. Gangotri and Yamunotri open for the season, Puri begins building the Rath Yatra chariots, and Jains end the year-long Varshitap fast with sugarcane juice.
Akshaya means "never diminishing" and Tritiya means the third lunar day. The belief behind the name is simple: what you start, give or earn on this day keeps growing. That is why the same date fills jewellery shops, wedding halls and temple queues, and why Jains, for a different reason, mark it as one of their most important days of the year.
A day that needs no muhurat
Most Hindu ceremonies wait for an astrologer to pick an auspicious window. Akshaya Tritiya is one of the few days, with Yugadi and Vijayadashami, that astrologers treat as auspicious all day, so weddings, griha pravesh, a shop opening or a child's first lesson can go ahead without a separate muhurat. Many families keep the year's big starts for it.
The older emphasis is on giving. Panchangs recommend a morning bath, puja to Vishnu as Lakshmi-Narayan, and daan suited to the start of summer: a pot of water, sattu, barley and wheat, curd-rice, fruit juice and other things people need in the hot months. Some families also offer tarpan to their ancestors. Hindu tradition links several stories to the day. It is held to be the birthday of Parashurama, the day the Ganga came down to earth, and the day Vyasa began dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesha. In one well-known telling, it is the day Sudama visited Krishna in Dwarka and went home to find his poverty gone.
Gold, and what people actually buy
Gold is the custom most people know. The idea is that gold bought on Akshaya Tritiya will add to itself. Panchangs publish the gold-buying window, which starts when the Tritiya begins, often the afternoon or evening before, and runs until it ends. Jewellers advertise reduced making charges and free coins.
What people buy has changed with the price. In 2026, with gold near ₹1.58 lakh per 10 grams, the Confederation of All India Traders reported a shift to lightweight jewellery, small coins, silver, and digital gold or gold ETFs. A one-gram coin or a silver item is as much "Akshaya Tritiya gold" as a necklace. If you are writing to someone, the purchase doesn't need to be in the message. Dhanteras, before Diwali, is the other big buying day, and the two are often confused.
The same day across India
| Where | What happens on Akshaya Tritiya |
|---|---|
| Uttarakhand | Gangotri and Yamunotri open for the season; the Kedarnath and Badrinath dates are fixed separately and fall around the same time |
| Puri, Odisha | The 21-day Chandan Yatra begins at the Narendra tank, and carpenters start building the three chariots for the Rath Yatra on Grand Road |
| Rural Odisha | Akhi Muthi Anukula: farmers worship the earth, their bullocks and tools, and sow the first paddy |
| Simhachalam, Andhra Pradesh | The sandalwood paste is removed from the deity for the yearly Nija Roopa Darshanam |
| Karnataka | Basava Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the 12th-century reformer Basavanna, falls on the same tithi |
| North India | Parshuram Jayanti, kept by many communities on the same day or the day before |
| Jain communities | Varshitap parna: the year-long fast ends with sugarcane juice at Hastinapur, Palitana and other tirths |
In 2026, the Gangotri portal opened at 12:15 pm and Yamunotri at 12:35 pm on Akshaya Tritiya, while Kedarnath opened on 22 April and Badrinath on 23 April. If someone you know is on the yatra, that is the order the shrines open. In Puri, the deities' representative idols, led by Madanmohan, are taken in palanquins to the Narendra tank and rowed in two swan-shaped boats, Nanda and Bhadra, for three weeks. On the same afternoon, servitors bring the agyan mala, the garland of permission, to the logs, and the cutting of wood for the chariots begins.
Why the day matters to Jains
For Jains, Akshaya Tritiya remembers the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, also called Adinath or Rishabhdev. After he renounced his kingdom, he went without food for about 400 days, because no one yet knew how to offer food to a monk. His great-grandson, King Shreyans, recognised the right way and offered him sugarcane juice, which he took in his cupped hands.
Svetambara Jains mark this with the Varshitap, a fast of eating on alternate days for about 400 days. It ends on Akshaya Tritiya with a parna of sugarcane juice, often at Hastinapur, where the first offering is said to have happened, or at Palitana, Kesariyaji, Ranakpur and Kulpakji. Families travel to be there. If a Jain friend or colleague is finishing a Varshitap, that is the occasion to write about, not gold.
How the date is set
Akshaya Tritiya is Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, and it is kept on the day that tithi is current in the forenoon. When the Tritiya starts late in the morning and ends early the next day, calendars can differ. In 2026, Drik Panchang for New Delhi gave 19 April, while Karnataka's holiday for Basava Jayanti, on the same tithi, was 20 April. Panchangs add that the day is especially auspicious when it falls on a Wednesday or Monday with the Rohini nakshatra.
Wishes to send
Maa, Papa, happy Akshaya Tritiya. Whatever you buy today, a small coin or nothing at all, may the good you do this year keep growing.
Opening on Akshaya Tritiya, the one day nobody needs a muhurat. May the first entry in the ledger be the smallest one you ever write.
Anumodana on completing your Varshitap. A year of alternate-day fasts, ending with sugarcane juice on Rishabhdev's own day. Wishing you strength and peace.
Married on Akshaya Tritiya, the date that never runs out. May your marriage only ever grow.
Happy Akshaya Tritiya. Hope whatever you're starting this season goes well.
The doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri open today. Travel safely, and remember us when you reach the Dham.
Akshaya Tritiya ki hardik shubhkamnayein. Aapke ghar mein sukh aur samriddhi kabhi kam na ho. (Warm wishes on Akshaya Tritiya. May happiness and plenty never run short in your home.)
अक्षय तृतीया की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। आपका सुख और पुण्य सदा अक्षय रहे। (Warm wishes on Akshaya Tritiya. May your happiness and good deeds never diminish.)
How to wish someone on Akshaya Tritiya
Akshaya means "never diminishing", so a good wish asks for something that lasts: health, a marriage, a new business, good deeds. Mention what the person is actually doing: opening a shop, marrying, finishing a Jain Varshitap, setting off on the Char Dham yatra, or simply buying a small coin. Keep gold as one detail, not the whole message, and don't make anyone feel they had to buy something.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + regional languages.
When is Akshaya Tritiya in each year?
Akshaya Tritiya is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 20 days later than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
When is Akshaya Tritiya in 2027?
Akshaya Tritiya 2027 falls on Sunday, 9 May 2027.
What does Akshaya Tritiya mean?
Akshaya means "never diminishing" and Tritiya is the third day of the lunar fortnight. The name reflects the belief that good deeds, charity and purchases made on the third day of the bright half of Vaishakha bring results that do not run out.
Do you have to buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya?
No. Buying gold is a popular custom, but the older emphasis of the day is on charity, puja and starting good work. Many families buy a small coin or a silver item, and panchangs list giving water, food and summer essentials as equally meritorious.
Why is Akshaya Tritiya important for Jains?
Jains remember the day the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, ended a fast of about 400 days by accepting sugarcane juice from King Shreyans. Svetambara Jains who keep the Varshitap, alternate-day fasting for about 400 days, break it with sugarcane juice on Akshaya Tritiya.
Which temples open on Akshaya Tritiya?
Gangotri and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand open for the season on Akshaya Tritiya, which starts the Char Dham yatra. Kedarnath and Badrinath open a few days later on dates fixed separately each year, and in Puri the Chandan Yatra and the building of the Rath Yatra chariots begin the same day.
Can you hold a wedding or griha pravesh on Akshaya Tritiya without a muhurat?
Hindu astrology treats Akshaya Tritiya as auspicious through the day, one of the few days that need no separate muhurat, so many families hold weddings, housewarmings and shop openings on it. Some families still consult their own priest for the exact time.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .