Akshaya Tritiya 2026: Date, Puja Vidhi, Mantras & Why It's the Luckiest Day of the Year

There is one day every year when the planets, the scriptures and the saints all agree on the same thing: whatever you do today multiplies — and never decays.

That day is Akshaya Tritiya.

The word 'akshaya' literally means 'that which never diminishes'. Whether it is wealth, knowledge, devotion or punya — anything started, donated or invested on this day is believed to give endless returns.

Akshaya Tritiya 2026 falls on Monday, 20 April 2026. The Tritiya tithi begins at 5:31 AM on April 20 and ends at 2:12 AM on April 21. The most powerful muhurat for puja and gold purchase is between 5:51 AM and 12:18 PM on April 20.

This day is special for many reasons. Lord Parashuram (the 6th avatar of Vishnu) was born today. Treta Yuga began on this day. Maa Ganga descended to earth on Akshaya Tritiya. Sudama met Krishna and his poverty ended forever. Vyas Muni began dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesh on this very tithi.

In this guide we will cover the exact puja vidhi, the most powerful Lakshmi mantras to chant, the right time to buy gold, and 7 things every Hindu home must do to receive the blessings of this rare and sacred day.

🙏 Don't miss the muhurat — set a free Akshaya Tritiya reminder in the Vandnaa App so the puja alarm rings at the exact shubh time.

Mark these timings carefully — the muhurat decides the strength of the blessings.

📅 Date: Monday, 20 April 2026 🕒 Tritiya Tithi Begins: 5:31 AM, 20 April 2026 🕒 Tritiya Tithi Ends: 2:12 AM, 21 April 2026

Best Puja & Gold Purchase Muhurat: 5:51 AM – 12:18 PM (20 April) Abhijit Muhurat: 11:54 AM – 12:46 PM Pradosh Kaal Puja: 6:48 PM – 8:55 PM

Why Monday makes it even more powerful: This year Akshaya Tritiya coincides with a Monday — Lord Shiva's day. The combination of Vishnu-Lakshmi worship + Shiva's day creates an extremely rare alignment that astrologers call 'Mahabhagya Yog'. The last time this happened was in 2015.

What you should NOT do during the Rahu Kaal (7:30 AM – 9:00 AM): Avoid buying gold or starting new ventures during Rahu Kaal even on this day. Plan your visit to the jeweller after 9:30 AM.

You don't need a pandit. This complete vidhi can be done by any family member at home in 25–30 minutes.

Items needed (Samagri):

• A small idol or photo of Lakshmi-Narayan (or Lakshmi-Ganesh)
• Yellow cloth, akshat (rice), kumkum, haldi, chandan
• Yellow flowers (marigold preferred), tulsi leaves
• Panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar)
• A copper/silver coin or small piece of gold
• Diya, agarbatti, naivedya (sweets, fruits, dry fruits)
• Conch (shankh), bell (ghanti)

Step 1 — Snan & Sankalp (5:30–6:00 AM): Wake up before sunrise. Bathe and wear clean yellow or white clothes. Sit facing east in front of the puja place and take a sankalp (vow): 'Today, on this Akshaya Tritiya, I worship Lakshmi-Narayan with devotion and seek their endless blessings for my family.'

Step 2 — Place the Idol: Spread a yellow cloth on a chowki. Place the Lakshmi-Narayan idol/photo on it. Place the gold coin in a copper plate in front of the idol.

Step 3 — Abhishek: Bathe the idol with panchamrit, then with clean water. Wipe gently with a clean cloth.

Step 4 — Shringaar: Apply chandan tilak. Offer kumkum, haldi, akshat, yellow flowers and tulsi (only to Vishnu/Narayan, not to Lakshmi directly).

Step 5 — Mantra Jaap: Light the diya and agarbatti. Chant the Lakshmi mantras given in the next section — at least 11, 21 or 108 times on a tulsi or kamalgatta mala.

Step 6 — Aarti: Perform 'Om Jai Lakshmi Mata' aarti and 'Om Jai Jagdish Hare'. Ring the bell while doing aarti.

Step 7 — Naivedya & Prasad: Offer the bhog. Touch it to the lips of the idol mentally. Distribute as prasad to family members.

Step 8 — Daan (Donation): Donate something — even a small amount — to a Brahmin, a temple, a poor person or for cow seva. Akshaya Tritiya without daan is incomplete.

Chant any of these mantras 108 times during the muhurat for maximum benefit.

1. Mahalakshmi Beej Mantra ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं कमले कमलालये प्रसीद प्रसीद ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः॥ Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalaalaye Praseed Praseed Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah

This is the most powerful Lakshmi mantra. Chanting 108 times on Akshaya Tritiya is said to remove permanent financial blockages.

2. Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra ॐ महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे विष्णुपत्न्यै च धीमहि। तन्नो लक्ष्मीः प्रचोदयात्॥ Om Mahalakshmyai Cha Vidmahe Vishnu Patnyai Cha Dhimahi. Tanno Lakshmih Prachodayat

3. Sri Suktam (first verse) हिरण्यवर्णां हरिणीं सुवर्णरजतस्रजाम्। चन्द्रां हिरण्मयीं लक्ष्मीं जातवेदो म आवह॥ Very powerful for wealth and prosperity.

4. Kuber Mantra (after Lakshmi puja) ॐ यक्षाय कुबेराय वैश्रवणाय धन-धान्याधिपतये धन-धान्य समृद्धिं मे देहि दापय स्वाहा॥ Kuber is the treasurer of the gods — invoke him after Lakshmi for wealth retention.

5. Vishnu Mantra ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय॥ This 12-letter mantra connects you to Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi's eternal consort. Chant 108 times.

Tip: Use a kamalgatta (lotus seed) mala for Lakshmi mantras — it is said to be 1000x more powerful than rudraksha for prosperity japa.

1. Buy something gold or silver — even a 1-gram coin counts. Akshaya Tritiya is the second-biggest gold buying day in India after Dhanteras. Whatever gold enters your home today multiplies in value over time.

2. Donate (Daan) — water, sattu, fans, umbrellas, fruits, clothes, or money. Donation today gives akshaya punya. Even ₹11 with shraddha is more powerful than ₹11,000 without it.

3. Start a new venture, investment or savings account — anything begun today never sees losses. SIPs, FDs, or even a new business idea — initiate it.

4. Do Lakshmi-Narayan puja together — never worship Lakshmi alone. She always blesses where Narayan is also worshipped. Couples should sit together for puja.

5. Read or listen to Vishnu Sahasranama — reciting all 1008 names of Vishnu today gives the punya of completing it 1000 times.

6. Offer water to Maa Ganga (or any river) — Ganga descended on this day. If you can't visit a river, mix Ganga jal in your bath water and offer arghya to the rising sun with the same.

7. Feed someone — annadan (feeding food) on Akshaya Tritiya is considered the highest form of charity. Feed at least one hungry person, a cow, or a Brahmin.

Even devotees with good intentions lose the benefits because of these small mistakes:

• Buying gold during Rahu Kaal — postpone gold purchase until after 9:30 AM
• Worshipping Lakshmi without Narayan — incomplete puja, blessings don't stay
• Offering tulsi to Lakshmi — never put tulsi on Lakshmi; tulsi is only for Vishnu
• Skipping daan — Akshaya Tritiya is built on the principle of giving; without daan, the punya is lost
• Lighting the diya with broken matchsticks — use a fresh matchstick or a clean cotton wick lit from another diya
• Using torn or dirty clothes — wear fresh, clean clothes (yellow, red or white preferred)
• Quarrelling at home — Lakshmi leaves homes where there is anger or disrespect today; keep the day peaceful
• Eating non-vegetarian or consuming alcohol — strict vegetarian satvik diet only

Most people miss the muhurat or forget the mantra sequence. The Vandnaa App solves both problems in one place:

• Auto-set reminders for Akshaya Tritiya brahma muhurat, abhijit muhurat and pradosh kaal
• Lakshmi Aarti, Vishnu Sahasranama, Sri Suktam — read or listen with one tap
• Built-in Jap Counter to chant Lakshmi beej mantra 108 times — no need for a physical mala
• Hindu Calendar with all 2026 festivals and exact muhurat for your city
• 100% free, ad-light, works offline for daily puja

Download Vandnaa now and never miss a muhurat again.