When is Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश चतुर्थी) in 2026?

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 starts on September 14, marking the beginning of the 10-day grand Ganeshotsav festival in Maharashtra.

Does this calendar include Maharashtra state holidays?

Yes, we track all official public holidays in Maharashtra, including Maharashtra Day, Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, Gudi Padwa, and Ambedkar Jayanti.

How do I know which exact day to perform a specific Puja?

Our calendar maps major festivals to the primary civil day of observance. For exact fractional Tithi bounds, please visit our Daily Panchang page.

When is Akshaya Tritiya celebrated in 2026 in Maharashtra?

Akshaya Tritiya 2026 will be celebrated on Sunday, April 19, 2026 (Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya). The Tritiya tithi runs throughout the day, providing an all-day auspicious window for gold purchases and new beginnings.

What is the exact Akshaya Tritiya 2026 Gold Buying Muhurat?

On Sunday, April 19, 2026, the entire span from 06:18 AM to 11:58 PM is considered auspicious for purchasing gold, silver, and real estate, because Akshaya Tritiya is a self-proven Sade-Teen Muhurta requiring no specific planetary validation.

What are the Sade-Teen Muhurtas (साडेतीन मुहूर्त) in the Marathi calendar?

The Sade-Teen Muhurtas are the 3.5 most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar in Maharashtra: 1. Gudi Padwa (full), 2. Akshaya Tritiya (full), 3. Dussehra / Vijayadashami (full), and 4. Diwali Balipratipada / Padwa (half). Any new venture commenced on these dates is believed to yield permanent success.

Why is Aamras traditionally eaten for the first time on Akshaya Tritiya?

In Maharashtrian cultural convention, mangoes are considered sacred gifts of nature and are not eaten until formally offered as first harvest Naivedya to deities and ancestors on Akshaya Tritiya. Furthermore, by mid-April, Alphonso mangoes reach natural tree-ripened maturity.

What is the Udaka Kumbha Daan ritual?

Udaka Kumbha Daan involves gifting a new unglazed clay water pot filled with cool water, betel leaves, and fragrant vetiver roots to the needy or temple priests. It is accompanied by seasonal fruits like melons and a palm-leaf hand-fan (Pankha) to earn spiritual merit and alleviate summer distress.

Akshaya Tritiya 2026 | अक्षय तृतीया २०२६

Akshaya Tritiya Gold Aamras Puri Maharashtra Celebration

Looking for calendar views and tithis?

Read more about the exact tithi timings and planetary alignments in our comprehensive April 2026 Calendar.

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About Akshaya Tritiya(उत्सव माहिती)

Akshaya Tritiya (अक्षय्य तृतीया / आखाती), occurring on the third lunar day of the bright fortnight of Vaishakh, is revered across Maharashtra as one of the quintessential Sade-Teen Muhurtas (साडेतीन मुहूर्त) — the three-and-a-half self-illumined, inherently flawless astrological days when no planetary flaw (Dosha) exists and any venture started is deemed imperishable (Akshaya, meaning decayless and inexhaustible).

In Maharashtra, Akshaya Tritiya heralds the official royal debut of the King of Fruits: the golden Hapus (Alphonso) mango. Before this day, traditional families refrain from consuming the season's mangoes; only on Akshaya Tritiya is the first freshly squeezed batch of silky Aamras (आमरस) offered as divine Naivedya to the family deities and departed ancestors. The festival table is an intoxicating Maharashtrian feast of fluffy golden puris, spiced Aamba Dal (आंबा डाळ) made from soaked chana dal and sour raw mango, crisp kurdai, and potato bhaji.

Beyond buying gold coins and ornaments at jewellers in Zaveri Bazaar, Laxmi Road, and Sarafa Bazars, rural and traditional Maharashtra practices the deeply compassionate Vedic ritual of Udaka Kumbha Daan (उदक कुंभ दान). Families donate earthen water pots (Surai or Ranjan) filled with cool water, fragrant vetiver (Vala / Khus), and sweet melon to travelers and priests, honoring both ancestral spirits and shielding fellow beings from the merciless Vaishakh summer sun. In Khandesh and North Maharashtra, this day is celebrated as Akhaji (आखाजी), where young women hang swings on fragrant mango trees and celebrate with folk songs.

History: The scriptural and historical roots of Akshaya Tritiya span millennia of Indian civilizational lore:

1. Tretayuga Commencement & Parashurama Jayanti: Puranic chronologies record Akshaya Tritiya as the dawn of Treta Yuga and the appearance day of Lord Parashurama (the sixth avatar of Vishnu, whose sacred hermitage is revered along the Konkan coast of Maharashtra).

2. The Akshaya Patra Lore: On this day, Lord Krishna bestowed the magical *Akshaya Patra* upon the exiled Pandavas and Draupadi, ensuring an endless supply of nourishment so that no guest went hungry. It is also the day when Sudama offered humble handfuls of beaten puffed rice (Poha) to his childhood friend Krishna in Dwarka, receiving unceasing cosmic abundance in return.

3. Maharshi Vyasa & Ganesha's Mahabharata Dictation: Cosmic tradition dictates that Maharshi Veda Vyasa began dictating the epic Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha on this very Tithi.

4. The Maratha Trade & Halkhata Traditions: In Maratha kingdom trade centers, merchants opened new financial ledger books (Halkhata) on this day without consulting an astrologer, trusting the sovereign power of the Sade-Teen Muhurta.

Significance: The observance of Akshaya Tritiya carries profound social, spiritual, and seasonal significance:

Sade-Teen Muhurta (साडेतीन मुहूर्त): Along with Gudi Padwa (1), Dussehra (1), and Diwali Balipratipada (0.5), Akshaya Tritiya makes up the three and a half days that require no Panchang consultation for purchasing property, starting businesses, or entering new homes.
Kumbha Daan & Ancestral Tarpan: Donating clay water pots (Ghadga / Kumbha) with betel nut, fan, and cucumber cools the thirst of ancestors (Pitrus) in the afterlife and brings immediate merit to the donor.
First Aamras Naivedya: Marks the seasonal dietary transition in Ayurveda, where ripe mango pulp acts as a natural rejuvenator, pacifying aggravated Vata and Pitta caused by peak summer heat.

Rituals & How to Celebrate

Early morning bath, placing a sacred Toran of fresh mango leaves and marigolds on the doorway.

Udaka Kumbha Pujan: Filling a new earthen water jug with water, fragrant Khus (Vala), sweet smelling flowers, camphor, and betel leaves, worshiping it with sandalwood paste, and donating it along with an umbrella, hand-fan (Pankha), and seasonal fruits (muskmelon, raw mango).

Offering Pitru Tarpan and Shradh rites for departed ancestors, offering them cold water and seasonal Naivedya.

Purchasing gold, silver, property, or vehicles during the auspicious Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat window.

Preparing fresh Aamras from ripe Hapus mangoes, performing Naivedya to the deities, and sharing the feast with family.

Commencing new business accounts, investment portfolios, or laying foundation stones (Bhoomi Pujan).

Traditional Foods & Bhog

Aamras (rich pure pulp of ripe Konkan Alphonso or Payari mangoes lightly flavored with green cardamom and dry ginger/sunth)

Garam Poori (piping hot, golden puffed whole-wheat puris fried in pure oil/ghee)

Aamba Dal (coarsely ground soaked chana dal mixed with grated raw mango, green chillies, coconut, and mustard tempering)

Batatyachi Bhaji (classic Maharashtrian tempered yellow potato sabzi with curry leaves and turmeric)

Kurdai and Sandge (sun-dried fermented wheat crumbles and lentil crisps fried to crunchy perfection)

Mattha (spiced, roasted-cumin buttermilk served cold from clay pots)