Gyanmandu:
Akshaya Tritiya festival is being celebrated by feeding hungry and thirsty in Nepal this very day. The soft and chilling essence of Barley & Chikpea 'Saatu'(a powered mixture obtained by grinding chickpea and barley; popular among the rural areas of Nepal) is whole heartedly presented to the hereby walking men and women served with the 'Sarbat' cold juices to quench the thirst and hunger. Celebrated on the day of Baisakh Sukla Tritiya, this festivity among Hindu culture is celebrated by feeding the hungry & thirty wanderers along with a sense of emotional attachment and good faith. People are seen feeding the hungry ones also calming the thirst with a necter fine drink made with cold freezing water and jaggery to blow off the summer sweat from one's forehead.
There is a traditional belief that if you serve Barley & Chickpea 'Satu' along with the cold juice to people wandering in the scorching sun on this vey day of Akshaya Tritiya you will obtain an everlasting holy reward of virtue. You will obtain nobility of your soul and spirit. As a way of remembering the tradition and flowing with the culture, people with a saintly belief donate the food and drink to the poor and unfortunate. People are seen giving away various kinds of utensils along with the severed food and drinks to the ones who are deprived of necessities leaving their trails of good deeds.
The description of the Akshaya Tritiya festival is mentioned in the 'Bhavishya(Future) Puran'. The day marks the sacred wedding of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati. The Puran marks this religion as a whole hearted donation of gold, soft food and garments to the Brahmins, Priests, Saints and the poor with a believe that the one who donates will never be scarce of these aspects in the future. Ones who are charitable won't have to see an empty food storage in their home and never feel short of anything in their lives.,
With the bright sun above your head, in the long summer days you sweat a lot which might dismantle the level of liquid in your body, you feel tired, nauseous and feel drained out of energy. The mixture of jaggery and ice cold water hydrates your body, refreshes you and gives the boost you need. 'Saatu' on the other hand is a homemade mixture of barley and chickpea grinned in a fine powder which is very helpful in restoring your energy, providing the nutrients your body requires. Being a symbol of happiness and prosperity, the festival has it's merits when it comes to living healthy. The elders say the festivity conveys the message of living healthy and also gives moral message to serve those who are hungry and thirsty.
The Eastern region welcomes Akshya Tritiya by worshipping the gods, brahmins & saints . People offer delicacies along with garments and other offerings, presents asking for the grace and blessings for a prosper and happy family. The members of the family feed on the 'Saatu' and the juice they have prepared concluding the festival. The holy day of the bonding of two great Hindu Dieties, the day is also marked as a fortunate day for initialising a new life and new beginnings.
