You always wished that your Dad would buy a new car, you go up to him and tell him to buy a car, and the reply you get is, “Wait for few more days, AkshayaTritiya is coming soon.” You’re left wondering what is so special about purchasing a car on this day. Well, let us tell you something about Akshaya Trithiya, also otherwise known as Akha Teej.
Akshaya Trithiya, the auspicious occasion falls on the third day of the bright half of the Vaishakh month which is generally somewhere between April-May according to the Gregorian calendar. As the mythology goes, Akshaya Trithiya is considered as the birthday of Lord Parasurama who is the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is also the day when Ved Vyas and Lord Ganesha began to write Mahabharata. The word Akshaya means ‘the never diminishing’in Sanskrit and the day is believed to bring good luck and success and hence all the new ventures and purchases are initiated on this day.
So, now you know why your Dad wanted to wait few more days before getting that car? Apart from the legend about prosperity and luck, Akshaya Trithiya is considered to be a day spent in paradise for your sweet tooth. Small shops and many households perform pujas on this day and distribute prasad in their vicinity thereafter.
The sweet dishes are prepared according to the age old recipes. Some traditional sweet dishes are, Besan Burfi, a diamond shaped sweet prepared with gram powder mixed with ghee and sugar. Kaju Katri, another sweet made from cashew powder, condensed milk and sugar. It occasionally contains a topping of nuts. Mango Raita, mango pieces dropped in yogurt and set to a thick consistency and are served with a garnishing of cardamom powder and nuts. Kalakhand, this sweet made of pure milk and garnished with an assortment of nuts is a traditional favorite of AkshayaTritiya all across India. Aval Payasam, a kind of a pudding made with flattened rice and milk is usually made by following the old recipes on the auspicious occasion.
Since Akshaya means the never diminishing or the infinite, the people hope the sweetness stays unabated through their entire life. So, this Akshaya Trithiya enjoy the mouth-watering delicacies during its course and let the happiness it brings brighten your day.