History Behind Buying Gold On ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ Festival

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akti or Akha Teej, is an annual Jain and Hindu spring festival. It falls on the third tithi (lunar day) of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Vaisakha.

Hindus and Jains in India celebrate Akshaya Tritiya as a day of auspiciousness. It represents the ultimate day of boundless wealth. In many parts of India and Nepal, Akshaya Tritiya is considered auspicious by Hindus and Jains for beginnings, marriages, charitable giving, and investments in assets like gold or other real estate.

In addition, it is a day for remembering those who have lost loved ones. For single or married women in the area, it is a day of prayer for the health of the men in their lives or the man they could one day become engaged to.

They distribute fresh fruits, Indian sweets, and germinating gram (sprouts) after prayers. Akshaya Tritiya is considered to be a more auspicious holiday if it falls on a Monday (Rohini).

HISTORY:
Another joyful tradition on this day is giving to charity, fasting, and assisting others. Akshaya Tritiya is significant to Jainism because it honors Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, who broke his fast of one year by drinking sugarcane juice that was poured into his cupped palms.

The celebration is known as Varshi Tapa by some Jains. Teerthankar Shri Aadinatha gave up all of his wealth and luxury from his Kingdom of Ayodhya after receiving diksha, or initiation into digambar mudra, or form.

Following his Deeksha, he fasted for six months before beginning to search for food, or Ahaar. Since people of that era were unaware of the practice and methodology of Ahaar Daan, he continued to live in Vihar.

Raja Shreyansh experienced seven dreams in one night as Teerthankar Aadinath approached Hastinapur, the capital of Kurujangal, a wealthy nation located in the southern region of Bharatkshetra in Jambudweep.

Raja Sonprabha, the King of Hastinapur, had a younger brother named Raja Shreyansh. A golden Sumeru mountain, a lion, an ox, the sun, the moon, an ocean, and Vyantar devas bearing the eight auspicious elements, known as Ashta Mangal Dravya, appeared before him.

After telling his brother King Sonprabha about the dream the following day, Raja Shreyansh said that these dreams implied that a god would come to his home today. Lord Rishabhdev arrived in Hastinapur as the two brothers and the priest were sitting and talking about the meaning of these dreams.

The brothers were told that the Lord had arrived in the kingdom by Siddharth, the gatekeeper. They both emerged into the courtyard, where they offered him a heartfelt bow and executed his Pradakshina. Shreyansh received Jati Smaran Gyan, or the knowledge of past incarnations, after seeing the Lord’s form.

This also allowed him to learn the Ahaar Daan rituals, which he had known since his prior births. During his eighth Bhav, Shreyansh Kumar assumed the role of King Vajrajangha’s Queen Shrimati.

During that period, Lord Rishabhdeva took the form of King Vajrajangha. There once was a time when the king and queen were sleeping on a pond’s edge in a woodland. Muniraj named Shriman Damdhar descended towards the king and queen simultaneously with another Muniraj, Sagarsen, who was strolling in the skies.

Ahaar would only be accepted by the Munirajas in a forest, as per their agreement. In addition to doing Ahaar Daan via Navdhabhakti, King Vajrajangha and Queen Shrimati conducted padgahans for both Munirajas.

The Devs executed Panchashcharya as a result. Raja Shreyans began to perform the Ahaar Daan once he recalled this and comprehended the Vidhi.

TEERTHANKAR’S FIRST AHAAR:

First, Lord Rishabhnatha’s Padgahan was initiated by both brothers and their queens. “He Bhagwan!” they chanted. “Atra Tistha Tistha, Namostu, Namostu, Namostu” and performed three more Lord Pradashinas.

After that, they met him, cleaned his feet, did his pooja using the eight elements, and sat him on a tall pedestal. Then, chanting, He Bhagwan!, he took the finest kind of sugarcane juice.

Bhojan Grahan Keejiye, Mann Shudh hai, Vachan Shudh hai, Kaya Shudh hai, Ahaar Jal Shudh hai. It conveys the message, Oh Lord! Please accept this food. My body and spirit are pure, my words and mind are pure, and the food and drink are pure.

HINDU TRADITION:

The celebration revolves around the god Krishna giving the Akshaya Patra to Draupadi while several sages, including Durvasa, were visiting. The Pandava princes suffered from starvation during their exile in the jungle, and their wife Draupadi was upset about this since she was unable to provide their guests with traditional hospitality.

The elder Pandava, Yudhishthira, beseeched the deity Surya, who bestowed upon him this bowl, which would stay filled until Draupadi had served all of their visitors. Krishna swallowed a little particle from the bowl during the arrival of the easily enraged sage Durvasa, deflecting the senior’s wrath and sparing the Pandavas from his curse.

Hindus believe that Parasurama, the god Vishnu’s sixth avatar, was born on Akshaya Tritiya. In Vaishnava temples, he is highly venerated. The holiday is sometimes referred to as Parasurama Jayanti by those who celebrate it in Parasurama’s honor.

On the other hand, some devote their respect to Krishna, Vishnu’s eighth avatar. In one account, on Akshaya Tritiya, the sage Vyasa started reciting the Hindu epic Mahabharata to the god Ganesha.

According to a different mythology, this day marks the descent of the Ganges River to Earth. The Yamunotri and Gangotri temples close during the Himalayan areas’ harsh winters and reopen on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya.

This falls during the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage. On Akshaya Tritya’s Abhijit Muhurat, the temples open. The temples of Yamunotri and Gangotri are opened on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya.

Another occasion connected to the day is Sudama’s visit to Krishna, a childhood buddy, in Dwarka, when he was bestowed with boundless wealth as a blessing. On this auspicious day, Kubera is said to have appointed the deity of wealth.

In the Indian state of Maharashtra, Akshaya Tritiya holds great significance. In the Marathi calendar, it is one of the three and a half auspicious and holiest festival days known as the Sadetin Muhurtas.

In Maharashtra, people observe Akshaya Tritiya as a day to begin something new because it is thought that work done on this day will lead to long-term prosperity. On this day, people purchase homes, open new enterprises, and buy gold for women.

This holiday is observed by families, and culinary offerings such as Aamras (a thick mango puree) and Naivedhya, which is Maharashtrian Puran Poli (roti or bread stuffed with a mixture of lentils and jaggery), are made for the gods and goddesses.

Akshaya Tritiya is observed in Odisha at the start of the rice paddy planting season for the upcoming Kharif season. Farmers pray for a bountiful harvest and begin the day by ritually worshiping Mother Earth, bullocks, and other traditional agricultural tools and seeds.

Following field preparation, farmers plant paddy seeds, marking the official beginning of the state’s most significant Kharif crop. The state celebrates this tradition, known as Akhi Muthi Anukula (Akhi-Akshaya Tritiya; Muthi-mouthful of grain; Anukula-commencement or inauguration), with great pomp.

Political parties and farmers’ organizations have arranged formal Akhi Muthi Anukula programs in recent years, which has brought significant prominence to the festival.

On this day in Puri, the building of chariots for the Ratha Yatra celebrations at Jagannath Temple also begins. The festival is linked to wealth and altruism in the Telugu-speaking states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

On this day, the Simhachalam temple observes unique celebratory customs. For the remainder of the year, the temple’s principal deity is coated in sandalwood paste; only on this day are the layers of sandalwood that cover the god removed to reveal the underlying figure.

On this day, the true form, or Nija Roopa Darsanam, is displayed. On this auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, those who buy rice, deposit money in a bank account, buy any new items or vessels, visit temples, donate food or special deals to the underprivileged, or assist underprivileged children with their school tuition are all auspicious.

Why Do People Buy Gold on Akshaya Tritiya?

It is believed that on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma bestowed upon Lord Kuber their blessings and assigned him the duty of securing the wealth of heaven.

Therefore, it is believed that purchasing valuable items like gold and silver in Lord Kuber’s name will only appreciate in value. According to another legend, Lord Krishna paid the Pandavas an unexpected visit on this day while they were in exile.

Draupadi got up and begged for pardon for not cooking a lavish feast. After giving her a blessing, Lord Krishna removed a single stalk of herb from the food bowl and presented it to the Pandavas, giving them the Akshaya Patra, or bowl of abundance.

Hence, people buy them on this day because they think that the value of gold, silver, and other metals will never go down. It is believed that purchases made on this day will always benefit others and appreciate in value.