Lustrous day of gifts and gold

People from the community speak about Akshaya Tritiya and how they intend to celebrate it

Sachin Bhide
In Hindu culture, whatever you do on this auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya returns to you. Among the important things to note is devotion to prayer and good deeds. The ladies gather others for special ceremonies that involve giving gifts, and we take part in other activities as well. 
The day is unique for my family, especially because we live abroad. It is an occasion to connect with our culture indirectly and pass it on to younger generations. As my son is raised outside India, this celebration gives him a virtual tour of our home country and its occasions. 
 
Anagha Borkar
It is a very important and auspicious festival for us, and Hindus usually buy gold on this day. I am not very interested in buying gold but we enjoy doing so on this day. It invites happiness and prosperity, and puts us in a festive mood, which I enjoy very much. We usually do not get a chance to do anything special because it often falls on a weekday and I am working, but we take time to chant Sri Sutra. Also this year, Akshaya Tritiya falls on my daughter's birthday so we have more reasons to celebrate.  

Srishti Chetty
One of the things I am familiar with about Akshaya Tritiya is that it is a good day to buy gold. My mom always believed so that's why this stuck with me. When I was a child I used to watch her dedicate herself to celebrating this day every year. Unlike Dhanteras, which is the day of Laxmi that is celebrated with the festival of lights, this day is only exclusively for gold. On Dhanteras, however, you can buy anything materialistic like books, cars, electronics, but Akshaya Tritiya is a day, which is auspicious only to buy gold.
 

Rahul Srivastava
Coming from Pune, Maharashtra, Akshaya Tritiya brings a lot of memories. I remember women exchanging haldi kumkum (turmeric and vermillion) that are the symbols of marital bliss, and pray for the longevity of their husbands. The women together used to offer prayers. Gujias (also known as karanji in Maharashtra), an Indian sweet, and mango drinks were among delicious attractions in this festival, which I miss a lot as an expat. For many people, this day is the most auspicious day to start new ventures, and buying gold is still a favourite activity on this particular day. 
 
Abhijeet Ashtekar
Akshaya Tritiya is one of the four important days we have on the Hindu calendar. On this day, we purchase gold. This is also a good day to invest in new things like a car, book a flat or place a deposit on a vehicle - anything that you wish to start anew. We have family gatherings back home, and prepare food like puris, potato curry, mango juice, biryani rice and other vegetarian dishes. We pray to God for well-being and wealth. My family plans to purchase some gold, and we will organise a gathering with friends. I will also get some flowers to use as decorations. 
 
Rajshree Ramdharilal
Akshaya Tritiya is one of the major auspicious days celebrated by Hindus and Jains. It is important because it is a good day to buy gold. I don't celebrate it, but I believe my mother-in-law does. I was born and brought up in Singapore and haven't come across this festival yet, neither have I seen my mom celebrate it. The community in Singapore observe it, but we do not celebrate it with such fervour within my family.

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