India is a land of festivals and there is no doubt about it. Each season brings with it a variety of festivals that are vibrant and colourful, adding to the excitement of the season. In keeping with the tradition, the spring season brings along festivals like Holi, Bihu, Rath Yatra and others. Another popular festival is Akshaya Tritiya. Also known as Akti or Akha Teej, it is an annual spring festival celebrated by Hindus and Jains across India (and abroad). The Sanskrit word Akshaya Tritiya literally means ‘never falling short (Akshay)’ and ‘the third phase of the moon (tritiya)’ – which denotes “the third day of infinite prosperity”. Every year, Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third tithi (lunar day) of the Shukla Paksha of Vaishakh according to the Hindu calendar. And if you follow the Gregorian calendar, it falls around April or May.
Akshaya Tritiya 2022: Date, Timing and Puja Date:
This year, Akshaya Tritiya is falling on May 3, 2022 and coincides with Eid al-Fitr – which is expected to begin on the evening of May 2, 2022 and end on the evening of May 3, 2022.
Akshaya Tritiya Puja Muhurta – 05:18 AM to 11:34 AM
Duration – 06 hours 15 minutes
Tritiya Tithi Start – 05:18 AM May 03, 2022
Tritiya date ends – 07:32 AM May 04, 2022
(Source: www.drikpanchang.com)
Akha Teej 2022: How Akshaya Tritiya is celebrated in India:
As mentioned earlier, Akshaya Tritiya signifies never ending prosperity. On this day, people worship, observe fast and prepare ‘Akshate’ to be offered to Lord Vishnu for good fortune. For the unchallenged, ‘akshate’ is unbroken rice grains wrapped with turmeric and kumkum. Apart from this, people also buy gold, silver, electronics, cars etc. on this day as a symbol of happiness and prosperity in their life.
Apart from this, devotees also prepare Naivedyam (Bhog) and offer to Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha and household deities. While the naivedyam thali varies from place to place, what remains constant is the milk or milk products. Keeping this in mind, we bring you the recipes of some classic desi sweets that you can prepare and serve as bhog during Akshaya Tritiya.
(Also read: Eid al-Fitr 2022: When is the sweet Eid 2022 in India? 5 must-try traditional foods,
Milk based sweets are consumed during the festival of Akshaya Tritiya.
Here are 5 milk based sweets (sweets) for Akshaya Tritiya 2022 celebrations:
Mango Kheer:
Kheer is probably one of the most common sweets prepared during any festival in India. Hence, we thought of sharing this popular recipe with a summer-y twist. Here is a mango kheer recipe that includes freshly sliced mangoes. For the Mango Kheer recipe, click here.
Pal Payasam:
A South Indian style kheer, Payasam is a rich and creamy dish that includes the goodness of rice, milk, dry fruits and ghee. It is often offered as ‘Prasadam’ in various South Indian temples. You will also find different variations of payasam recipes – including moong dal payasam, pineapple payasam, coconut payasam and more. Here we bring you the classic Pal Payasam recipe. Click here for the recipe.
Rabri:
Another popular dish prepared during Akshaya Tritiya is Rabri. It is hassle free, easy to make and adds a rich note to your meals. All you need to make rabri is milk, sugar, dry fruits and cardamom – that’s it. Click here for the Rabri recipe.
Rasmalai:
Rasmalai needs no introduction; right? It’s rich, flavorful and elevates the dining experience in no time. All you have to do is make small rasgulla and dip them in condensed milk by boiling them with saffron, sugar and some basic flavors of your choice. Click here for the recipe,
Aamras:
The celebration of Akshaya Tritiya in Gujarat and Maharashtra is not complete without a bowl of aamras. In fact, it occupies a stable place in a traditional Maharashtrian naivedyam thali. Seeing the popularity, we are here to find the traditional aamras recipe for you. Click here for the recipe.
Happy Akshaya Tritiya 2022 to all!