Tania Gupta

what is akshaya Tritiya?

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej is a Hindu and Jain[citation needed] holy day, that falls on the third Tithi (Lunar day) of Bright Half (Shukla Paksha) of the pan-Indian month of Vaishakha.
Jainism is one of the oldest known religions of world. Rishabhadeva alias Adinath is the first Tirthankara of the Jains. The Day of Akshay Tritiya is worshipped and said to be auspicious in Jainism because -
. Upon attaining enlightenment, he gave up all worldly pleasures and chose to lead the life of an ascetic and became a Jain monk. Jain monks do not own anything. They do not even cook food for themselves. When hungry or thirsty, they go to the people and ask for food or drinking water. Tirthankara Rishabhadeva also went to people and asked food. However, the people of that time did not know anything about the lives and disciplines of monks, as he was the first monk of his era. The people of Ayodhya offered him gold, jewellery, gemstones, elephants, horses, expensive garments and even their daughters to honour their beloved king. Rishabhadeva was not in quest of all these. He sought only a morsel of food, but nobody offered it to him. Nobody understood that their king was asking for food. As there was no choice, he had to fast for a long time until his grandson Shreyansha Kumara understood his need. Finally Shreyansha Kumara, offered him sugarcane juice and thus Rishabhadeva ended his fast after a year. This was on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. This is considered by the Jains as one of the best offerings. It is believed that religious gifts bestowed on Akshaya Tritiya become inexhaustible. Jains even today, observe a fast to commemorate their first Tirthankara Rishabhadeva on Akshaya Tritiya and end their fast with sugarcane juice.
As per Hindus, this day is ruled by god Vishnu, the preserver-god in the Hindu Trinity. It is also traditionally celebrated as the birthday of the Hindu sage Parashurama, the sixth Avatar (incarnation) of the god Vishnu. According to Hindu mythology, on this day the Treta Yuga began and the river Ganges, the most sacred river of India, descended to the earth from the heaven.
The word "Akshaya" means the never diminishing in Sanskrit and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. It is believed that if you do charity on this day you will be blessed. On 'Akshay Tritiya' 'Mrutika' also worshipped. Nowadays jewellers have turned the purity into a marketing gimmick. The day is considered auspicious for starting new ventures. The legend is that any venture initiated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya continues to grow and bring prosperity. Hence, new ventures, like starting a business, construction etc. is initiated on Akshaya Tritiya.