Akshaya Trtiya

(also called Akha Teej) Festival
celebrated on the third day of the
bright (waxing) half of the lunar
month of Baisakh (April–May). The
festival’s name reflects the belief that
the religious merit from rites performed on this day is indestructible
(akshaya). This is thought to be the day
on which the Treta Yuga (a previous
cosmic age) began, and as a transitional day is believed to be highly
auspicious. This day is marked by worship of Vishnu and his consort
Lakshmi; it is also believed to be the
birthday of Vishnu’s sixth incarnation,
Parashuram avatar. Consistent both
with the worship of Vishnu and
the belief that this is a transitional
day, on Akshaya Trtiya the temple
doors are opened at the Four
Himalayan Dhams (the holy towns
of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath,
and Badrinath) after having been
closed all winter, and worship in
those places is resumed until after the
festival of Diwali in the fall. See also
Four Dhams.