Akshaya Tritiya has significant cultural and religious importance for both Hindus and Jains. For many people across India, Akshaya Tritiya is a day of good fortune and prosperity. This festival is considered auspicious for starting new projects like new job, new house, new vehicle, new venture, etc., making investments, buying gold and conducting other religious ceremonies.

The Essence of Akshaya Tritiya

In the spirit of Akshaya Tritiya, a day symbolising eternal prosperity and abundance, we are reminded of doing good. Performing good deeds on this day is believed to bring good luck and prosperity that can last for the whole year. As an NGO committed to providing mid-day meals to underprivileged children, we recognise the transformative power of giving nutritious food, not just as sustenance but as a symbol of hope and opportunity.

Celebrations Across India

While the essence of Akshaya Tritiya remains the same, its celebration varies across different regions of India.

Uttar Pradesh

A common belief prevails in Vrindavan that this day is the first day of creation. Only on this day, the feet of Lord Krishna (Banke Bihari) is seen in Banke Bihari temple. Many people across the world travel to Uttar Pradesh to seek blessings for a whole year of abundance.

Odisha

Akshaya Tritiya marks the beginning of the construction of ‘rath’ (chariot) for the Rath Yatra. As a part of the festivities, farmers offer seeds to Goddess Lakshmi and start sowing seeds in their fields, praying for a rich harvest season. Also, in the western part of this state, as a belief, people avoid eating green leafy vegetables as it brings bad luck.

Maharashtra

Women in Maharashtra gather and invoke Goddess Gowri as she is a symbol of marital bliss. They exchange haldi and kumkum and pray for the well-being and long life of their husbands.

West Bengal

To bring luck and prosperity in their lives, businessmen and traders perform religious functions and poojas to worship Goddess Lakshmi at their homes and offices. They also buy gold with a belief that it will bring good luck for the whole year.

Rituals associated with Akshaya Tritiya

• Devotees of Lord Vishnu observe a fast and engage in charitable activities such as distributing food, clothing and oil
• Tulsi (holy basil), is incorporated into various dishes offered to the deity, which are later distributed as prasad.
• Businessmen perform a special puja called Halkhata to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi before initiating the new financial year, as they are believed to be associated with prosperity.
• As the day symbolises prosperity and abundance, majority of the population purchase gold and silver jewellery for good fortune.
• People take a dip in the sacred waters of Ganga (Ganges), drawing devotees to the ghats of Haridwar and Varanasi.
• In Jainism, some people conclude their year-long penance or tapasya by breaking their fast with sugarcane juice.
• Devotees apply sandalwood paste to the idol of Lord Krishna, believing it grants entry to heaven.

Inherit good deeds on Akshaya Tritiya by doing Anna Daan in the form of mid-day meals (MDM). As an NGO in India that implements the PM POSHAN Abhiyaan (formerly called the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Programme), we feed 2.2 million children with hot and nutritious meals in 72 locations across the country.

As we celebrate this Akshaya Tritiya, let us support children coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds. Imbibe the spirit of generosity by nourishing underprivileged children. Serve MDMs with your online donations.

Donate Now

Akshaya Patra kitchens are crucial to the Foundation’s vision of serving 3 million children by 2025. These kitchens are large-scale, state-of-the-art facilities where meals are prepared for school children. In January 2024, the Foundation inaugurated two kitchens in January at Panvel in Maharashtra and Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. The Panvel kitchen is the Foundation’s 68th kitchen and was inaugurated on 3 January, 2024. Meanwhile, the Hazaribagh kitchen, which is the 69th kitchen, was inaugurated on 19 January, 2024.

Background

People leave their homes at early hours and return after sunset in Hazaribagh and Panvel as the main source of income coming from coal mining activities and agriculture. This makes it difficult for parents to prepare breakfast or lunch for their children and most of them go to schools with empty stomach. This affects their attendance, focus on academics and other activities and performance in general.

Akshaya Patra has expanded its reach through Panvel and Hazaribagh kitchens to break this cycle and implement Government of India’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan. Panvel kitchen has the capacity to serve 10,000 children while the Hazaribagh kitchen has the capacity to cook mid-day meals for 1 lakh children every day.
A lot of children only attend school because they know they will receive a healthy midday meal. In addition to addressing hunger, the PM POSHAN Abhiyaan has a favourable effect on enrollment, attendance and retention rates. Having wholesome meals enables students to focus in class, learn effectively and ultimately create a brighter future.

Here’s what a teacher from a beneficiary school of the Panvel kitchen has to say about the midday meals.

Anupama Dambre, Principal, Gyan Jyoti Savitribai Phule Mahanagar Palika School, Panvel

“Every day, a teacher only wants to see her students happy and healthy. I am grateful to Akshaya Patra for providing my school’s students with hot, nutritious meals. The majority of these children come from homes that struggle to manage even one healthy meal every day. They are able to focus better on their studies and other co-curricular activities because of the meals given at school.”

For over 23 years, the Foundation has worked towards alleviation of classroom hunger, encouraging marginalised children to get an education and aspire for a brighter future. When you donate to feed the children, these meals act as an incentive for children to attend school every day. Thus, increasing attendance and enrolment rates. The meals also encourage them to continue their education. With the addition of the two new kitchens, Akshaya Patra hopes to impact more young minds.

Meals for Dreams

In order to address the problem of hunger and malnutrition in Indian classrooms, Akshaya Patra is working with the help of the central and state governments, as well as individual and corporate donors, philanthropists. The initiative, which began with 1,500 students in five Bengaluru schools, is already feeding over 2.1 million students nationwide. The NGO has been successful in expanding its care to remote locations with the goal of guaranteeing nourishment for every child.

Donate online and make a difference!