About Parshuram Jayanti
Parshuram Jayanti marks the birth of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu in Hindu tradition, on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, 8 May 2027. It is marked mostly in north and west India with havans, shobha yatras and community gatherings, and Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are among the states that list it as a holiday.
Parashurama is the warrior-sage of the Dashavatara, the one avatar who is a Brahmin by birth and a fighter by deed. His name means Rama with the axe, and he is also called Bhargava Rama and Rama Jamadagnya after his father. His birthday falls on the third lunar day of the bright half of Vaishakha, the same tithi as Akshaya Tritiya, and the two are often kept together.
Who Parashurama is, in the tradition
The Puranas and the epics tell his story in several versions, and they do not always agree. In the common outline, he is the son of the sage Jamadagni and Renuka. The king Kartavirya Arjuna, also called Sahasrabahu, seizes Jamadagni's wish-granting cow, and in the conflict that follows Jamadagni is killed. Parashurama kills the king and then, by the Mahabharata's account, rids the earth of corrupt kings twenty-one times over, filling the five lakes of Samantapanchaka before he turns to penance.
Other episodes show a different side. In one Mahabharata telling, he obeys his father's order to kill his own mother and then uses the boon he is granted to ask for her life back. In the Mahabharata he teaches weapons to Bhishma, Drona and Karna. In the Ramayana he confronts Rama after Sita's swayamvar, recognises him as Vishnu, and retires to the Mahendra mountains.
He is counted among the Chiranjeevis, the seven immortals, and tradition says he still lives on Mahendragiri and will teach Kalki, the avatar still to come. That is one reason he has few temples of his own: he is seen as a living sage more than a deity to be installed and worshipped.
The land he gave back from the sea
Along India's west coast Parashurama is remembered as a maker of land. The legend says he threw his axe into the sea and the water drew back, leaving the coast from Gokarna to Kanyakumari, which is why Kerala is sometimes called Parashurama Kshetra. The Konkan claims the same story, and one Maharashtra version places the axe throw at Salher fort.
His shrines follow that coastline and beyond. The Parshuram temple at Chiplun in Ratnagiri is the best known in Maharashtra, Pajaka near Udupi is a major site in Karnataka, and a statue stands at Burondi near Dapoli. Local tradition puts Jamadagni's ashram, and Parashurama's birthplace, at Janapav hill near Mhow in Madhya Pradesh. In the far east, Parshuram Kund in Arunachal Pradesh's Lohit district draws pilgrims every Makar Sankranti.
How the date is set
Tradition holds that Parashurama was born in the first part of the night, so his Jayanti goes by pradosh, the window after sunset. Panchangs place it on the day when Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya is current at pradosh; if that happens on two days, the second day is taken. Akshaya Tritiya follows a different rule and goes by the tithi current in the morning.
Most years the two fall on the same date. When the Tritiya begins around midday and ends the next morning, Parshuram Jayanti comes first and Akshaya Tritiya follows the next day. Check your local panchang, since the cut-off moves with sunset in your town.
How the day is marked
Brahmin sabhas and samajs run most public events, especially in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. A typical day has a havan, a shobha yatra through the main market with a tableau of Parashurama holding his axe, bhandara, and speeches. In Nurpur in Himachal's Kangra district, the local Brahmin Sabha has paired its havan and procession with a Pratibha Samman for children who did well in school, and at the Brahman Sabha on Jammu's Parade Ground young men have received the sacred thread in a yagyopavit ceremony on the day. In Mokama in Bihar, the Kalash Yatra at the Parshuram temple has been given state festival status.
Holiday status changes from year to year and state to state. Punjab's gazetted list for 2026 included Lord Parshuram Jayanti, Himachal Pradesh gives a holiday, and Haryana lists it too. Elsewhere it may be a restricted holiday or none, so check the current year's notification.
What to write
Do
- Write about what he stands for in the stories: devotion to parents, discipline, learning and teaching.
- For a family or a sabha, mention the havan, the shobha yatra or the children being honoured.
- Wish a colleague simply and warmly; you don't need to retell the legend.
Avoid
- Don't use the war against Kartavirya's line as a boast or a jibe at any community today.
- Don't assume everyone who marks Akshaya Tritiya also marks Parshuram Jayanti; for many it is mainly a community day.
Wishing you both a blessed Parshuram Jayanti. The stories begin with a son who honoured his parents above everything, so today is a good day to say thank you.
Jai Parshuram. Hope the yatra goes well; send me a photo when the tableau passes your street.
On Parshuram Jayanti, remember he taught Bhishma, Drona and Karna. Study with that kind of discipline, and keep asking questions.
Warm wishes on Parshuram Jayanti to you and your family.
Pranam to all on Bhagwan Parshuram Jayanti, and thanks to everyone who organised the havan, the bhandara and the samman for the children.
Bhagwan Parshuram Jayanti ki hardik shubhkamnayein. Jai Parshuram. (Warm wishes on Bhagwan Parshuram Jayanti. Glory to Parshuram.)
How to wish someone on Parshuram Jayanti
A Parshuram Jayanti wish usually honours what the tradition remembers him for: devotion to his parents, hard penance, mastery of both scripture and weapons, and teaching. "Jai Parshuram" and "Bhagwan Parshuram Jayanti ki hardik shubhkamnayein" are the common Hindi greetings. Keep the message about learning and discipline; avoid turning his war against the kings of his time into a slogan about any caste or community today.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi.
When is Parshuram Jayanti in each year?
Parshuram Jayanti is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 19 days later than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
When is Parshuram Jayanti in 2027?
Parshuram Jayanti 2027 falls on Saturday, 8 May 2027.
Why does Parshuram Jayanti sometimes fall a day before Akshaya Tritiya?
Parshuram Jayanti is kept on the day Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya is current after sunset, because tradition says he was born in the early night. Akshaya Tritiya goes by the tithi current in the morning, so when the Tritiya starts around midday, Parshuram Jayanti falls that day and Akshaya Tritiya the next.
Is Parashurama believed to be still alive?
Yes. Hindu tradition counts Parashurama among the seven Chiranjeevis, the immortals, and says he lives in penance on the Mahendra mountains and will be the teacher of Kalki, the tenth avatar.
Why is Kerala called the land of Parashurama?
By legend, Parashurama threw his axe into the sea and the water withdrew, leaving the coast from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. That is why Kerala, and the Konkan by a similar story, are called Parashurama Kshetra.
Who were Parashurama's disciples?
In the Mahabharata, Parashurama teaches the arts of war to Bhishma, Drona and Karna. Later tradition also names him as the future guru of Kalki.
Which states have a holiday on Parshuram Jayanti?
Punjab included Lord Parshuram Jayanti in its 2026 gazetted holidays, Himachal Pradesh observes a holiday, and Haryana lists it. Other states vary from year to year, so check the current state notification.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .