THE DAY THAT GIVES

AN upcoming Hindu and Jain festival that springs to mind is Akshaya Tritiya on April 19, called Akha Teej in the North.

- RENUKA NARAYANAN

It’s traditionally believed to symbolise ‘never-diminishing’ (akshaya) prosperity, and is considered a highly auspicious day for new beginnings, investments and purchasing gold. So much so that it’s also jokingly called Indian Gold Rush Day. Rituals include prayers to Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi and Kubera, as well as acts of charity such as annadaanam or feeding people.

For Jains, it commemorates Lord Rishabhanatha ending his long fast. Rishabhanatha, also known as Adinath (First Lord), is revered by Jains as the pioneer of civilisation. He is credited in Jainism with having invented and taught fire, cooking and all the skills needed for human beings to live, including seventy-two accomplishments taught to men and sixty-four crafts taught to women, including farming and writing. The legend goes that he was born in Ayodhya to King Nabhi and Queen Marudevi, and was the first Tirthankara of the current era.

One day, Nilanjana, a dancer who was performing for Rishabhanatha and his court, suddenly collapsed and died. Ni-lanjana’s sudden death is said to have reminded Rishabhanatha of life’s transitory nature, jolting him to renounce his kingdom, family and material wealth. He practised austerities for many years, travelled across the land and attained kevala jnana (omniscience) at the holy town of Prayagraj, called Pu-rimtal in Jain texts. He is believed to have attained moksha on Mount Kai-lash. He established the foundational principles of the Jain faith in the remote past, according to Jain belief.