Festival · 2027
Parshuram Jayanti 2027 — Saturday, 8 May 2027
Parshuram Jayanti celebrates the birth of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu in the traditional list, on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya at dusk.
In 2026
Sunday, 19 April 2026
- Tithi
- Shukla Tritiya: 19 Apr, 10:49 AM – 20 Apr, 7:28 AM
- Lunar month
- Vaishakha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 5:51 AM / 6:49 PM
| Puja muhurat | 6:49 PM – 9:01 PM |
|---|---|
| Pradosh kaal | 6:49 PM – 9:01 PM |
Rule: Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya prevailing at pradosh, when Parashurama was born; if on both days, the first.
In 2027
Saturday, 8 May 2027
- Tithi
- Shukla Tritiya: 8 May, 11:43 AM – 9 May, 9:03 AM
- Lunar month
- Vaishakha
- Sunrise / sunset
- 5:35 AM / 7:00 PM
| Puja muhurat | 7:00 PM – 9:07 PM |
|---|---|
| Pradosh kaal | 7:00 PM – 9:07 PM |
Rule: Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya prevailing at pradosh, when Parashurama was born; if on 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 Parshuram Jayanti?
Parashurama, “Rama with the axe”, is counted as the sixth of the ten avatars of Vishnu, after Vamana and before Rama of Ayodhya. He was born to the sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka, in the line of the sage Bhrigu, which is why he is also called Bhargava Rama. Tradition places his birth on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, at pradosh, the time just after sunset, and his Jayanti is therefore kept in the evening of that tithi. It falls on or just before Akshaya Tritiya, which shares the same tithi.
His story is told in the Mahabharata and in Puranas such as the Bhagavata and Brahmanda. Born a Brahmin, he took up arms, and the axe, the parashu, is said to have been a gift from Shiva after long devotion. When the powerful king Kartavirya Arjuna of the Haihaya line carried off Jamadagni’s wish-fulfilling cow, Parashurama killed the king; the king’s sons later killed Jamadagni, and in grief Parashurama is said to have fought the arrogant kshatriyas of the land twenty-one times. The Mahabharata presents this as a campaign against the abuse of royal power, and it ends with Parashurama giving the earth away to the sage Kashyapa and withdrawing to the Mahendra mountain to live in penance.
Parashurama is unusual among the avatars in that he is believed to be a chiranjivi, one of those who live on through the ages. He appears in the Ramayana, where he meets Rama after the breaking of Shiva’s bow and recognises him, and in the Mahabharata as the teacher of Bhishma, Drona and Karna. In this way he links the ages and the epics together, as a master of arms who remained an ascetic.
On the western coast he has a special place. The Keralolpathi and other regional traditions tell that Parashurama threw his axe into the sea from the Western Ghats and that the water drew back to reveal the land between the mountains and the ocean, the coastal strip of Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala. Many temples along this coast trace their founding to him, and his Jayanti is kept there as well as in north India.
How it is observed
- Worship of Parashurama in the evening, at pradosh, with flowers, sandalwood, tulsi, a lamp and incense.
- Reading or hearing his story from the Mahabharata or the Puranas, and reciting hymns to Vishnu.
- In many homes, a fast through the day that is ended after the evening worship.
- Shobha yatras and gatherings, especially in north Indian towns, with an image or portrait of Parashurama carrying the axe.
- Visits to temples dedicated to him, such as the Parshuram temple near Chiplun in the Konkan.
- Giving food, water or other gifts in charity, in keeping with the spirit of the neighbouring Akshaya Tritiya.
How the date is fixed
Parshuram Jayanti is kept on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, the third lunar day of the bright half of Vaishakha, at the time of Parashurama’s birth, which tradition places at pradosh, the evening period from sunset through the first fifth of the night. Our calendar takes the day on which Tritiya prevails at pradosh. If Tritiya is present at pradosh on two consecutive days, the first of the two is taken. The date and the pradosh window above are worked out this way for your place. Because Akshaya Tritiya uses the same tithi but a morning rule, Parshuram Jayanti is often the same day as Akshaya Tritiya or the day before it.
Where practice differs
Parshuram Jayanti is kept widely in north India, where many Brahmin communities regard Parashurama as a patron and hold processions and gatherings, and in the Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala, where he is honoured as the one who brought the coast out of the sea. The Parshuram temple near Chiplun, and shrines in Goa and Kerala, hold special worship. The month is Vaishakha in both northern and amanta reckoning, because the day is in the bright half. Some almanacs that fix the day by the tithi at sunrise place it on Akshaya Tritiya itself, so local calendars can differ from ours by a day.
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
Is Parshuram Jayanti the same day as Akshaya Tritiya?
Often, but not always. Both fall on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, but Akshaya Tritiya is fixed by the tithi in the morning while Parshuram Jayanti is fixed by the tithi at pradosh, in the evening. When Tritiya begins in the afternoon, the Jayanti falls a day before Akshaya Tritiya.
Who was Parashurama?
Parashurama was the son of the sage Jamadagni and Renuka, a Brahmin warrior counted as the sixth avatar of Vishnu. He is remembered for his axe, his fight against tyrannical kings, and as the teacher of Bhishma, Drona and Karna in the Mahabharata.
Is Parashurama still alive according to tradition?
Yes. He is counted among the chiranjivis, those who live through the ages, and is believed to be in penance on the Mahendra mountain. The Puranas also say he will be the teacher of Kalki, the avatar still to come.
Why is Parashurama linked with Kerala and the Konkan?
Regional traditions such as the Keralolpathi say he threw his axe into the sea from the Western Ghats and that the sea drew back to reveal the coastal land. Many temples on the west coast trace their origin to him.