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Gold coins, a never-diminishing stream of grain and lotus for Akshaya Tritiya

Akshaya Tritiya

Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi

Upcoming
Sun, 9 May 2027
in 337 days
Major festival Major
🔗 The same night is also observed as Parashurama Jayanti →
Akshaya Tritiya 2027 falls on Sunday, 9 May 2027. It is the third lunar day (Shukla Tritiya) of Vaishakha and one of the handful of days (sade teen muhurat) treated as auspicious in their entirety, so no separate election is needed to begin work, buy gold, or make a donation. Because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, the Gregorian date shifts each year between late April and mid-May.

When it falls

The date shifts because it tracks the moon, not the Gregorian calendar.

2024 May 10
Fri
2025 Apr 30
Wed
2026 Apr 19
Sun
2027 May 9
Sun
2028 Apr 27
Thu
2029 May 16
Wed

Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.

Significance & story

The word akshaya means imperishable — that which does not run out. The day takes its name from a simple belief: a worthwhile thing begun on Akshaya Tritiya keeps its value and grows. So it is treated less as a festival of feasting and more as a doorway for starting things — a business, a build, a savings habit, a journey.

Tradition layers several events onto this date. It is held to be the day Veda Vyasa began dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesha, the day the Ganga is said to have descended to earth, and the day Krishna gave Draupadi the Akshaya Patra, the vessel that never emptied. It is also remembered as the birth of Parashurama, an avatar of Vishnu. The common thread is abundance that does not deplete, which is why Vishnu and Lakshmi — the keeper and the giver of fortune — are worshipped together.

The day carries weight in Jain tradition too, where it marks the first alms Rishabhadeva (Adinath) received — sugarcane juice — after a year of fasting. Across both traditions the meaning lands the same way: give and begin on this day, and the merit is held to last.

Rituals & observance

How Akshaya Tritiya is kept:

  • A Vishnu and Lakshmi puja at home, often with a reading or recitation, marks the morning; many keep a partial fast until the puja is done.
  • Buying gold, silver or new vessels is the best-known modern custom — the idea being that wealth acquired today is akshaya, never-diminishing.
  • Charity (daan) is central: giving water, food, grain, clothing or money is held to be especially meritorious on this day.
  • New ventures are deliberately begun or inaugurated — opening a shop, signing a deal, laying a foundation, starting an investment — since the day is auspicious without needing a separate muhurat.
  • In Vaishnava centres like Vrindavan, the deity's feet are revealed (Chandan Yatra / Chandanotsav) and cooled with sandalwood paste against the summer heat.

Regional variations

Odisha
Akshaya Tritiya traditionally marks the start of agricultural sowing (Akhi Muthi Anukula) and the beginning of cart construction for the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri.
Vrindavan & Vaishnava temples
Observed as Chandan Yatra — the deity is cooled with sandalwood paste for the summer, and at Banke Bihari the deity's feet, normally veiled, are shown to devotees only on this day.
How this date is determined

Observed on the Tritiya tithi of Vaishakha (Shukla paksha), reckoned by midday (madhyahna).

Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.

Frequently asked

What date is Akshaya Tritiya in 2027?
Akshaya Tritiya 2027 is on Sunday, 9 May 2027, the third day of the bright half (Shukla Tritiya) of the month of Vaishakha.
Why does the date of Akshaya Tritiya change every year?
It follows the Hindu lunar calendar, falling on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. Because lunar months don't line up with the Gregorian year, the date drifts each year, usually between late April and mid-May.
Do I need a special muhurat to start something on Akshaya Tritiya?
Traditionally no. Akshaya Tritiya is counted among the sade teen muhurat — the three-and-a-half days regarded as auspicious in their entirety — so the whole day is considered suitable for beginnings, purchases and donations without a separate election.
Why is buying gold associated with Akshaya Tritiya?
It is a relatively modern custom built on the day's core idea: akshaya means imperishable, so gold bought today is thought to hold and grow its value. The older tradition is daan (charity) and beginning good work — the buying is one expression of the same belief in lasting wealth.
Is Akshaya Tritiya only a Hindu festival?
No. It is also significant in Jain tradition, where it marks Rishabhadeva (Adinath) breaking a year-long fast with sugarcane juice — observed as Varshi Tap parana. The shared theme across both is generosity and merit that does not diminish.

Related festivals

Parashurama Jayanti
Apr 19

Plan around it

Panchang Choghadiya muhurat Festival calendar Your Kundli