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May
Festival
Akshaya Tritiya
For any important occassion, Hindus go through the Hindu Panchang
(calendar) to find ‘muhurat’ (auspicious time) to start. But there are three
and half days in the Hindu Panchang which are all time auspicious. Any
significant occasion or venture can be started on those days. Akshaya Tritiya
is one of those three and half auspicious days.
Akshaya Tritiya is the third day in the bright fortnight of Vaishaakha
month of the Hindu Panchang which comes around April-May timeframe. As
described earlier, it is one of the three and half most all time auspicious days
on which Hindus do not have to see Panchang for the ‘muhurats’. The other
two and half days are Vijayadashami (Dassera), Yugadi (Varsha Pratipada)
and a half day of Bali Pratipada which is the 4th day Deepavali.
Akshaya means unperishable or eternal. Any auspicious activities and
austerities started on this day would be fruitful. It is said that Treta Yuga
(Shri Ram’s Yuga) or Satya Yuga began on this day. This is the day when Ved-
Vyasa along with Lord Ganesha started writing the Mahabharata; one of the
great epics of Hindus.
On this day, Hindus bathe in a sacred river, give charity, perform japa
(meditation) and offer barley in a sacred fire, and offer barley preparations to
the deity. They worship Lord Ganesha. Business people start the new audit
book with the worship of Lord Ganesha and Devi Lakshmi. These traditional
rituals are then followed with welcoming customers and holding dinner.
Sweets and new year calendars are distributed to guests.
Story of a Brahmana
Here is one story of a brahmana who had a very good wife but was poor.
Whatever little money he got would get spent somehow. Also he did not have
children. He was suffering.
So under the strong request of his wife Brahmna went to sage Vashishta
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Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS)