Akshaya Tritiya

When it falls

Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya (the third)

• 2026 · Sunday, 19 April 2026
• 2027 · Saturday, 8 May 2027

Significance

Akshaya Tritiya means the "imperishable third" — akshaya, that which never diminishes. It is regarded as one of the most universally auspicious days of the year, a day that needs no other calculation to be a good time to begin: a venture, a marriage, a purchase, a charity.

Tradition layers it richly — the day the river Ganga descended to earth, the day Veda Vyasa began dictating the Mahabharata, the day of endless food in the Pandavas’ exile. The common thread is abundance that does not run out.

How it’s observed

It is kept as a day for new beginnings and for giving — donations of food, water and clothing are held to carry lasting merit. It is also the year’s busiest day for buying gold, on the belief that wealth begun today only grows; the descriptive tradition holds the day itself to be the blessing.

The timing, explained

Akshaya Tritiya falls on Shukla Tritiya — the third day of the bright fortnight — of Vaishakha. It is one of the few tithis considered auspicious in its own right, regardless of the weekday or nakshatra (lunar mansion) it lands on — an abhijit-like day at the scale of the whole year.

Keep reading

• What is Tithi?
• What is Paksha?
• See it on the calendar
• All festivals