Hindus celebrate Akshaya Tritiya, believed to bring endless prosperity

Akshaya Tritiya 2024: Why do people buy gold on this auspicious day? The name itself - Akshaya (eternal) and Tritiya (third) — signifies the third day of the auspicious Vaisakha month. Gold, a symbol of wealth, is a popular purchase on this day, ensuring long-lasting prosperity. Know the significance of Akshaya Tritiya and why it is an auspicious time to buy gold

This year, Akshaya Tritiya is on May 10 (Friday). Hindus consider it an auspicious day, and so buy metals such as gold and silver. However, not many people are aware of why it is considered auspicious to buy gold or other precious metals on this occasion.

The word Akshaya Tritiya is derived from Sanskrit: Akshaya means eternal or never-ending and Tritiya means third — to signify the third day of the month of Vaisakha. According to Hindu mythology, items bought on this day will give the buyer endless prosperity. Hence, many individuals buy gold on this day to attain endless wealth and prosperity. In many cultures, it is also known as Akha Teej.

Since ancient times, gold has been associated with prosperity and auspiciousness. That is why many Indians prefer to buy gold in the form of jewelleries, coins, bars, or bullion on auspicious days like this, to ensure that they will have long-lasting wealth.

Buying silver is also considered auspicious on Akshaya Tritiya. So those who cannot buy gold, purchase silver items. It is also said that one should do charity on Akshaya Tritiya. An individual, according to a widely held belief, can multiply their blessings by doing charity on Akshaya Tritiya. The charity is typically done by donating money, food, metals, clothes, etc.

In Hindu mythology, the story of Akshaya Patra is also associated with the festival of Akshaya Tritiya. Akshaya Patra is a divine copper vessel that is an eternal source of food. In the Mahabharata, Lord Surya, or the Sun god gifts this divine vessel to Yudhishthira so that the five brothers and their wife, Draupadi, would not go hungry during their 12-year exile in the forest. The story goes that the copper vessel helped the Pandavas and Draupadi fill their stomachs during this hard period. Irrespective of the amount of food put into the vessel to cook, it would never run out of food as long as the six wanted to eat. The food supply would end only after Draupadi had her fill.

When is Akshay Tritiya celebrated?

The festival of Akshay Tritiya is celebrated on the third day of Vaisakha (the second month of the Hindu calendar) of the Shukla Paksha (rising new moon). The English calendar date of the festival varies every year depending on the Hindu calendar’s dates. But Akshaya Tritiya is generally celebrated either in April or May.

Auspicious time to buy gold

Many people prefer to know the auspicious times of the day to buy gold and do charity work. According to the website Drikpanchang, Akshaya Tritiya will begin on May 10, 2024, at 04:17 AM and end on May 11 at 2:50 AM.

To know the city-wise shubh muhurat to buy gold, click here.

This story originally appeared on: India Times - Author:Faqs of Insurances