On the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, Hindu and Jain
community observed fast and offered prayers to goddess Laxmi and lord Vishnu on
Sunday. In Jainism, this day is celebrated to commemorate Lord Adinatha, their
first God.
Further, goddess Annapurna was born on the same day. The day
essentially marks the setting of Treta Yuga among the other three Yugas (Satya,
Dwarpa and Kali).
While donation plays an essential role in celebrations of
the day, people often reserve the day for new beginnings. Planning their future
and deciding their future course of action in terms of business, studies and
other tasks was a part of most Hindu households.
“Any good work performed on this day invokes manifold blessings
and at Khajrana temple, we have been distributing 1200 food packets every day
through district administration to do our part for society,” Satpal Bhatt, head
priest of Khajrana temple, said.
He added that the puja of Akshaya Tritiya was performed in
households, where everyone prayed to lord Vishnu to invoke the warriors in us
to beat coronavirus.
“It was a major challenge for us to secure fruits and
flowers that are generally offered in prayer rituals,” homemaker Jyotsna Tiwari
said. She managed to offer the lord flowers made from paper and other craft
items.
“Lockdown is must for our safety, it is the thought that
counts much more than what we are offering,” Jyotsna said.
Buying gold on Akshaya Tritiya is believed to invite endless
fortune into one's life. “I had postponed buying some gold for my new-born
daughter for this day, so though, the price was inflated I bought a small
amount as a blessing for her,” businessman Kishore Sharma said.
Though Sarafa market and other local goldsmiths recorded a
big loss on Akshaya Tritiya, some buyers went online to buy the yellow metal as
an investment.