KATHMANDU: The Akshaya Tritiya festival, observed annually on Baisakh Shukla Tritiya, is being celebrated today with rituals including donation and consumption of Satu (barley flour) and Sarbat (traditional drink).
According to traditional practices, devotees wake up early, clean their homes, take a ritual bath, and prepare offerings for worship. Deities including Diyo, Kalash, and Lord Ganesh are worshipped. A copper vessel with an Ashta Dal inscription is placed on the Kalash, followed by worship of Lord Vishnu using sixteen ritual offerings.
There is also a Vedic tradition of offering pure water or a special drink prepared with ingredients such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, honey, sugar, and crystal sugar (misri), along with donating barley flour (Satu) to priests.
Religious texts state that good deeds performed on this day—such as bathing, charity, meditation, and prayers—are believed to bring lasting merit. Since Satu and Sarbat are considered cooling and nourishing in the heat of Baishakh, they are both offered in charity and consumed.
It is also believed that such offerings help boost the body’s immunity. Even small donations on Baisakh Shukla Tritiya are considered to bring prosperity and good fortune.
The donation of water pitchers (ghada), known as dharmaghatadi daan, is also performed today. Donations of umbrellas, walking sticks, and footwear are made to the elderly, while grain, land, cows, and gold are traditionally given to Brahmins, the needy, and the underprivileged.
According to belief, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were married on this day in the Satya Yuga, which is why marriages are considered auspicious without needing a specific muhurat (timing). It is also believed that the Treta Yuga began on this day.
The festival is called Akshaya Tritiya because good deeds performed on this day are believed to bring everlasting prosperity.
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