Festival · 2026
Akshaya Tritiya 2026 — Sunday, 19 April 2026
Akshaya Tritiya is the day of undiminishing merit, when tradition holds that giving and new beginnings bear lasting fruit.
In 2026
Sunday, 19 April 2026
- Tithi
- Shukla Tritiya (Shukla): 19 Apr, 10:49 AM – 20 Apr, 7:28 AM
- Lunar month
- Vaishakha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 5:51 AM / 6:49 PM
| Puja muhurat | 10:49 AM – 12:20 PM |
|---|---|
| Purvahna (sunrise to midday) | 5:51 AM – 12:20 PM |
Rule: Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya touching the purvahna; if it touches both days, the first.
In 2027
Saturday, 8 May 2027
- Tithi
- Shukla Tritiya (Shukla): 8 May, 11:43 AM – 9 May, 9:03 AM
- Lunar month
- Vaishakha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 5:35 AM / 7:00 PM
| Puja muhurat | 11:43 AM – 12:17 PM |
|---|---|
| Purvahna (sunrise to midday) | 5:35 AM – 12:17 PM |
Rule: Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya touching the purvahna; if it touches both days, the first.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Akshaya Tritiya?
Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third day of the bright half of Vaishakha and is one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar. Akshaya means imperishable, that which does not diminish. Tradition holds that good done on this day, whether giving, prayer or a fresh start, bears lasting fruit. It is also known as Akha Teej in Rajasthan and parts of north India.
Many stories gather around this day. It is celebrated as the birth of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. One tradition holds that the Treta Yuga began on this day; another that Vyasa began dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesha. The story best known in homes is of Sudama, Krishna’s poor childhood friend, who brought a handful of flattened rice and returned to find his hut transformed, a story about love given freely rather than about wealth.
Popular belief treats Akshaya Tritiya as an abujh muhurat, auspicious throughout the day without a separate muhurat being fixed, so many weddings, housewarmings and new ventures are planned for it. In recent decades it has become strongly associated with buying gold, though older tradition places the emphasis on giving: water, grain, fans and umbrellas at the start of summer. The Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines traditionally reopen on this day.
How it is observed
- Giving daan to those in need: pots of water, grain, fruit, clothes, fans or umbrellas.
- Worshipping Vishnu and Lakshmi, often with barley, tulsi and yellow flowers.
- Starting new work, opening new account books or moving into a new home.
- Holding weddings, since popular belief treats the whole day as auspicious.
- Buying gold or silver, a widespread modern custom.
- In parts of Rajasthan and central India, farmers marking the start of the agricultural year with a symbolic first sowing.
- Offering and sharing sattu, cucumber and other cooling foods in the summer heat.
How the date is fixed
Akshaya Tritiya is Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, the third lunar day of the bright half of Vaishakha. Our calendar checks whether Tritiya is present during purvahna, the part of the day from sunrise to midday, when the day’s worship is traditionally done. The day on which Tritiya touches purvahna is Akshaya Tritiya; if it does so on two consecutive days, the first is taken.
Where practice differs
In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh it is Akha Teej, a traditional day for weddings. In Odisha, work on the chariots for the Puri Rath Yatra begins on this day, and farmers start the new sowing season. Jains observe it as the day Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, broke his long fast with sugarcane juice. The bright half of Vaishakha carries the same name in both the purnimanta and amanta calendars.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
Why is Akshaya Tritiya considered auspicious?
Akshaya means imperishable, and tradition holds that good deeds and new beginnings on this day do not diminish. The day is also linked with the birth of Parashurama and other sacred events.
Is it necessary to buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya?
No. Buying gold is a popular modern custom, but older tradition places the emphasis on giving water, grain and other essentials to those in need.
Is there a muhurat on Akshaya Tritiya?
Popular belief treats the whole day as an abujh muhurat, auspicious without a separately fixed time. The puja is traditionally done in purvahna, the morning, which is also the window our calendar uses to fix the date.